


Once Upon a Highway

by Lyatt1941



Series: Torrent [1]
Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Car problems, F/M, Falling In Love, Fate, First Meetings, Meet-Cute, Road Trip, Strangers to Lovers, wyatt saves the day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2020-07-08 07:07:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 64,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19865506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyatt1941/pseuds/Lyatt1941
Summary: “Our files indicate that you and Lucy had met a year and a half prior to your employment here. Apparently, she was at a conference at University of California in San Diego when her car broke down. She was headed back to San Francisco when you stopped and offered her assistance. According to the account we have, you ended up driving her the whole way to San Francisco and the two of you hit it off…although she had been engaged to Dr. Noah Carmichael at the time." - Torrent Chapter 4This is a companion piece for Torrent, though it can be read and (hopefully) enjoyed on its own.  Happy Reading!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I mentioned many many months ago that I was considering a companion piece or two for Torrent...specifically the other timelines. Yes, I know I am in the throes of two multi-chapter fics, but I wanted to surprise you all with this one because dang it, one day it just popped in my head and would not go away. It won't be terribly long, I'm just getting them to San Francisco so you can see "how they hit it off" and then one day, someday...I'll do Lucy's timeline where they come back from 1962 and she and Wyatt are engaged (because of what happened in this timeline) - if you haven't read Torrent, I'm sure that's confusing, but just go with it...this fic can stand on its own as an AU. 
> 
> That said, I hope you enjoy it.

Sighing heavily at the sea of red tail lights ahead of him, Wyatt Logan slowed his Jeep to a halt, cursing his damn luck that he had decided not to take I-5 out of Los Angeles and instead, opted to take the scenic route along US Highway 101. Well, he hadn’t really decided as much as his buddies had told him that if he was going to be heading all the way up to San Francisco, he might as well make the most of the drive.

On a typical day, Wyatt would have ignored their advice, choosing speed over scenic ocean views…but this wasn’t a typical day. Today, he needed and wanted to relax...and that was going to be hard to do if he was forced to suffer through bumper to bumper traffic all damn day. “C’mon!” he moaned to no one but himself as he laid a heavy hand on the horn, protesting yet another vehicle inching into his lane.

Dammit. This was why he never went anywhere…well, not for fun anyway.

As it was, Wyatt Logan was rarely ever in a position to take a vacation…or rather, he rarely ever allowed himself the opportunity for one. As a Delta Force soldier, he was expected to be the best of the best and so most of his free time he spent training; shooting, running, hand to hand combat, martial arts…whatever he could do to improve his already stellar record. Missions were also frequent and usually long…and here lately, he had been volunteering for them almost as soon as they cropped up.

He was alone, after all…so, why wouldn’t he?

Of course, he hadn’t always been alone. Wyatt’s grandfather had practically raised him after his no-account, world-class sonofabitch of a father had nearly beaten him within an inch of his life. Unlike his dad, Wyatt’s Grandpa Sherwin was a man of integrity and virtue; everything he had ever learned about being a good, upstanding citizen came from their many talks together. Grandpa Sherwin hadn’t just been his own personal hero, he had also been a hero in the World War II as a member of the famous 101st Airbourne division. Hearing his stories of bravery and sacrifice growing up, Wyatt wanted nothing more than to be just like him….to make him proud. Therefore, there was no question when he turned eighteen about what he was going to do with his life; he would join the Army, just like his grandpa did at his age. It was a proud moment, for both of them…but for Wyatt, it wasn’t enough. He needed to prove to himself that he was every bit the soldier his grandfather was…and that confirmation finally came when he was selected for Delta Force…though it had come at a price.

Apart from his Grandpa Sherwin, Wyatt had found solace and comfort in the arms of his high school sweetheart, Jessica. Young, in love, and ready to escape the small West Texas life together, they got married fresh out of basic training. Looking back, they were too young to appreciate or understand the challenges that came with marriage…and with the added stress and separation that came from military life, especially with the rigors that went into his Delta Force training…well, it turned out to be too much. Fights were frequent, Jessica had wandered during his deployment to Kandahar and while Wyatt absolutely blamed her at the time of their messy divorce, after resuming the mantle of bachelorhood for a few months, he couldn’t help but see that his long absences, his commitment to training, his focus on living up to the ideal he believed his grandfather wanted him to be, had driven a wedge between them. He was too proud to admit it then, hell, he was too proud to admit it now…but he still wanted to make things right.

Yes, he and Jessica had divorced…but after some reflection and a very dangerous mission in Syria for nearly a year, Wyatt had come home, ready to try again. Booking a trip to San Francisco, he had hoped to surprise her. Even if it didn’t lead to a reconciliation of their marriage, he hoped, at least, it would help them bury the hatchet and at least part ways on good terms.

He should’ve known better.

Flowers in hand, he nervously approached her doorstep, only to have his knock answered by a half-naked, tanned, douchebag with frosted tips and an obvious love for Axe body spray. If that weren’t humiliating enough, Jessica appeared moments later, clad in only a t-shirt, looking somewhere between livid and embarrassed that Wyatt had intruded on their apparent afternoon off.

He didn’t stay long after that…he didn’t even say a word…what, really, was there left to say? Jessica had obviously moved on and while he couldn’t begrudge her the chance to do so, the fact that he had been replaced by some asshole who looked like an extra from _Point Break_ was enough to make him want to drop kick the 20-something dreadlocked surfer currently smiling and waving to him as he slowly maneuvered his Volkswagon bus into the miniscule space between Wyatt’s Jeep and the Miata that had done the same, just moments before.

Why the hell had he taken the Pacific Coast Highway?

Cursing under his breath, he forcefully flipped on his right blinker. If every asshole in the right lane was going to come piling into the left one, maybe he would have better luck there.

And after a while, he did.

As car after car moved from the right to the left lane, Wyatt found himself inching forward, little by little until he finally saw the source of all his frustration; a silver Porsche 911, stalled in the middle of the damn road, its hazards blinking rhythmically while the driver sat within, occasionally extending her hand out of the window to wave cars around her.

Wyatt rolled his eyes, silently cursing whatever jackass decided to give this woman a license, let alone a damn car.

Growing up as he did in West Texas, he wasn’t used to the rich and famous types Southern California seemed to mass produce. The girls he knew in high school, even the cheerleaders, knew how to check their oil, and change a tire. These California girls? He doubted they even knew how to pump their own gas. As he watched car afree car swerve around her, he was tempted to do the same, but somewhere in the backend of his mind he remembered his Grandpa Sherwin and thought about what he would do in that situation. The driver may have been an irresponsible, helpless, @*%$@, but that didn’t mean he had to be. All he needed to do was get her car out of the damn road, offer to call a tow truck, smile and his good deed would be done for the day. Five minutes...maybe ten and he and everyone else stuck on this highway could be on their way.

Well, everyone except her…but he really didn’t give a damn about that. He just wanted to get to San Francisco.

Sighing heavily, Wyatt parked his Jeep on the shoulder and got out, fully expecting some Kim Kardashian type to be sitting at the wheel obliviously applying her make-up or chatting on her cell phone. What he didn’t expect was a woman, about his age, slouched down low in the seat with her hands covering her face.

Furrowing his brow in confusion, Wyatt cleared his throat, “Are…are you alright, ma’am?” He asked tentatively.

“I’ve called Triple A.” she answered, her voice muffled by her hands, “It’s just going to take them a while to get someone out here…I’m sorry.”

“What’s wrong with your car?” he asked, hoping to God she wouldn’t say she ran out of gas, yet half-expecting her to.

“How am I supposed to know?” she moaned as she finally removed her hands from her face and peered up at him, blinking against the bright California sun. “It just shut down…here in the middle of this stupid highway…ugh…I knew I should have just flown to San Diego.”

Wyatt raised his eyebrows in amusement, “Well, I hate to tell you this ma’am, but if you’re going to San Diego, you’re pointed the wrong direction. San Diego is that way.” he added as he nodded his head towards the south.

“I realize that.” she said with a roll of her eyes, “I’m coming back from San Diego.” Grabbing her phone and looking at her GPS, she groaned, “Ugh...I’m never going to get back in time…my mother is going to kill me.”

“You’re going to have a lot more people lined up to do that if you don’t get your car out of this lane.” Wyatt said matter of factly, “You’ve got traffic blocked up for a couple of miles.”

“Well, what am I supposed to do?” she spat out in exasperation. “It’s not like I can go anywhere! I’m stuck here.”

Rubbing his hand across his face in exasperation, Wyatt shook his head, “Put your car in neutral, ma’am.”

“I’m sorry? What?” she asked.

“Your car.” Wyatt said more clearly, “Put it in neutral…ma’am…that’s what the “N” stands for.”

“I know what neutral is,” she spat back, clearly annoyed, “I just didn’t hear you. And by the way, we’re pretty much the same age so you can stop calling me ma’am.”

Wyatt wanted to tell her off, but he couldn’t help but smirk at how easily riled she was over something he considered to be polite manners, “Well, what would you like me to call you?” he asked with a half-hearted shrug.

“Lucy is fine.” she said with as grunt she changed gears. “Okay…now…Hey!” she called out loudly when looked up to find that Wyatt was no longer next to her window. “Wh…what am I supposed to do?” she asked, but no sooner had the question been asked then her car lurched forward, taking her completely by surprise. Yelping in fright, Lucy frantically stomped her foot on the brake...which sent Wyatt reeling.

“What the hell are you doing?” his frustrated voice called from behind her car, “I’m trying to move you out of the damn road. Steer!”

“Oh.” Lucy breathed out in realization as she lifted her foot from the brake and began turning the wheel roughly. Wyatt shook his head, muttering under his breath as he resumed pushing her car to the safety of the shoulder. As the sound of appreciative honks and shouts from motorists now zooming along their merry way echoed through the air, Wyatt felt the urge to join them as soon as possible. This was supposed to be his vacation, dammit, and he had no intention of wasting any more time on this…on her…especially after she had snapped at him for calling her “ma’am.”

Ungrateful, that’s what she was. Ungrateful.

After getting Lucy safely situated on the side of the road, Wyatt was ready to dust off his hands and be done with her, but no sooner had he taken his hands off the trunk of her Porsche, then Lucy stepped out of the car with a look of pure apology on her face. It was the first-time Wyatt had gotten a proper look at her since stopping on the side of the road. She was small and thin, but very pretty with chocolate brown hair and dark eyes that, to his surprise, were now brimming with tears.

“Oh, my goodness, thank you.” she exclaimed as she rushed forward to meet him, “I’m so so sorry I snapped at you earlier…this…this has just not been my day.”

“That makes two of us.” Wyatt couldn’t help but mutter as he rolled his eyes and huffed out a breath. Lucy, however, didn’t hear him because her phone had chimed at that exact moment and now she was currently wrapped up in reading the long message that had flashed onto her screen.

“Ugh” she breathed out as she typed back in frustration, “How am I supposed to know what’s wrong, mom? I’m not a mechanic.” Throwing her phone back in her purse, Lucy smiled at Wyatt sheepishly, “Look, I really am sorry about earlier…I just…no one was stopping…I was getting honked at and flipped off left and right…it just...it just made an already bad situation, worse. I didn’t mean to take it out on you…I mean, you stopped when no one else did.”

Wyatt sighed. Of course she was having a bad day. Her car had left her stranded in the middle of a damn highway, alone...and with no one to help her. No one, that is, until he came along. He had no idea how long she sat there, embarrassed, waiting for help...but he imagined that by the time he showed up, she had just about had enough. Hell, his own frustrations with himself over Jessica had put him in a piss ass mood, so really, how could he judge her? Feeling a little guilty about being kind of an ass, Wyatt decided he would do his best to make it up to her, ”Pop your hood.” he requested with a nod towards her car, “Let’s see what the problem is.”

“Oh…are…are you a mechanic?” Lucy asked hopefully.

“No.” Wyatt said with a smirk and shake of his head, “but I know a thing or two about cars.”  
Lifting her hood once the lever was released, Wyatt rolled up his sleeves and began examining the engine. After having her attempt to start it a few times, Wyatt slammed the hood down and shrugged, “Looks like you need a new alternator…and your belt could use replacing too.”

Hearing this, Lucy groaned, “Is…is that bad?” she asked nervously. “I mean, will it take long to fix?”

Wyatt shrugged, “Well, it shouldn’t take too long, just as long as wherever the hell they take you has the right parts. I could jump start it for you now and get you a little further down the road, but the way your belt is looking, I wouldn’t risk it. If it breaks, you could burn up your whole engine.”

“I’m guessing that would be really bad…”

“Yeah.” Wyatt agreed with a chuckle and a nod of his head, “it would be bad.” He pulled out a handkerchief from his back pocket and wiped his hands, “Were you having any issues before this happened? Trouble starting it, lights going out…anything like that?”

“I don’t…I don’t know.” she admitted with a frustrated shrug, “technically this isn’t even my car…I’m just borrowing it.”

Wyatt raised his eyebrows, “Someone let you borrow their Porsche to drive to San Diego?” He scoffed, “You must have some very nice friends.” Lucy, however, said nothing, but instead, buried her face in her hands and moaned. Unsure of what to say or do anymore now that she was safely out of the middle of the road, Wyatt waved awkwardly, “Alright, well…Lucy...good luck with your car and getting to wherever it is you’re going…”

Dropping her hands from her face, Lucy gaped at him in horror, “You’re leaving?”

“Well, yeah…” Wyatt said with a shrug, “You said you called Triple A, right? So, they’ll make sure you get taken care of.”

“Right...okay.” Lucy said with a nod, looking even more anxious than before. Wyatt gave her another wave and headed to his Jeep when Lucy called to him, suddenly remembering, “Oh…wait! Please!” She called as Wyatt turned to face her, “I need to thank you…I mean, for stopping and helping…you really didn’t have to…” she began as she fumbled with her purse.

Wyatt scoffed, “Well you were kind of already stopping traffic, so…”

“I know,” she admitted in a rueful voice, “but I… _this_ has never happened to me before…I didn’t know what to do…I still don’t.” She looked agitated and nervous as she pulled out her wallet and mumbled in embarrassment, “I don’t think I have any cash…would…would you take a check?”

Wyatt let out an incredulous laugh, “A check? For what?”

“For…for helping me move my car…and you know” she added with a shrug, ”… inconveniencing you.”

“For…” Wyatt scoffed, very nearly offended by her offer, “you don’t have to pay me for giving you a hand, okay? Just…keep your money.” He nodded towards the car, “you’re gonna need it to fix that alternator, those things aren’t exactly cheap…especially for a Porsche.”

“Oh…right...sorry.” Lucy muttered as she returned her wallet to her purse with shaky hands. “Th…thanks again!” she cried over the din of traffic but Wyatt had already made his way back to his Jeep, and merely returned her expression of gratitude with a half-hearted wave.

As Wyatt got back in his car, however, he glanced back up at Lucy. She was pacing anxiously, nervously checking her watch and looking absolutely terrified…and he couldn’t help but feel a tug of sympathy for her. The sun was already beginning to sink lower in the sky, after all, and he couldn’t help but wonder how long it would take for the damn tow truck to arrive. Though he still had a good six hours of drive time ahead of him, he thought of leaving her on the side of the highway, waiting for assistance…assistance that might not come until well after nightfall…and he immediately felt guilty. Anything could happen to her and while she sure as hell wasn’t _his_ problem, he couldn’t shake the nagging voice in his head telling him that driving off and leaving her on the side of the road was a bad idea.

Sighing heavily, Wyatt clambered back out of his Jeep and slowly meandered his way back to Lucy, who looked halfway between stunned and relieved at seeing him again, “I…uh…don’t feel right…leaving you here by yourself.” Wyatt explained, “Do you know anyone close by who can…I don’t know…pick you up?” He noted the giant rock on her finger, “Maybe your fiancé?”

“My…how?” she looked at him with a curious expression before noticing he was looking at her ring, “oh…that.” Lucy shook her head despondently, “No…I live hours away from here…this was my first time driving to Southern California on my own.” She scoffed, “Typical, right? You take a big risk and it blows right up in your face.”

Wyatt hadn’t the slightest clue what she meant by that, though from what he had seen he imagined Lucy was, by nature, a bit on the cautious side. Sure, he was seeing her right now at a bit of a disadvantage, stressed and anxious as she was, but to describe driving a car, going on a road trip, as a “big risk” made him wonder what she thought about “dangerous” sports like flag football and golf. 

She had mentioned she thought about flying to San Diego and Wyatt couldn’t help but wonder why she hadn’t, given her obvious discomfort of driving. Surely there were people around her who would have been looking out for her in this...to give her advice, or even offer to go along. Her fiancé, at the very least should have been concerned enough about her to see that she had some kind of support, some kind of help besides a cell phone.

At least, Wyatt thought, that’s what he would do. 

He had no business sticking his nose into places it did not belong, but in this case, he couldn’t help it. He was curious. “Does he know you’re traveling on your own?” Wyatt asked as he raised his eyebrows skyward. 

“Who?” Lucy asked absent-mindedly, “Oh…him?” she said with a dismissive wave of her left hand, “Yes…of course he knows…this is his car, actually.”

“Wait a minute...” Wyatt asked incredulously, “your fiancé sent you to Southern California on your own, in a car with a crap alternator?”

“I’m sure he didn’t know there was any problem with the car.” Lucy said defensively, though Wyatt suspected that maybe she was a little upset that he didn’t. “I would’ve just driven my own…except that…” she trailed off looking somewhat embarrassed.

“Except, what?” Wyatt asked, not so much out of curiosity…he was just happy to not stand there in awkward silence waiting for the damn tow truck.

“It’s stupid.” Lucy admitted as she pressed her hands to her face, “I was just going to fly…” she explained, “but…well, I had always wanted to do…this.” she said as she waved to her hand wildly in front of her.

“What?” Wyatt asked, teasing her, “Break down in the middle of the road?”

Lucy cast him a sardonic glare, “No…drive the Pacific Coast Highway.“ With a musing smile, she explained, “I’ve lived in California all my life and have never done it, but Noah said if I was going to drive the PCH I had to do it in style.” she said with a roll of her eyes. “I’m sure he meant well but…” Lucy sighed, “this just isn’t me. I mean, I drive a Honda Civic…and it’s not even brand new.”

Wyatt couldn’t help but smile at her admission. Any other woman he had ever known, including Jess, would’ve been thrilled at the idea of driving a Porsche down the Pacific Coast Highway...hell, Jess would’ve been thrilled just to sit in one...but Lucy...Lucy would rather have her Civic. 

He had never met anyone like her. 

True, he had only known her for a few short minutes and while he had made some very wrong assumptions about her character initially, he found, after talking to her, that she wasn’t at all like the haughty, ungrateful woman he had believed her to be when he first met her. Was she high-strung? Absolutely. Irritating? She had definitely gotten under his skin. But she was also humble and kind and while Wyatt didn’t know her fiancé from a hole in the ground, he couldn’t help but wonder if her fiancé knew or even cared that Lucy wasn’t phased by these things he had lavished on her...the Porsche, the rock the size of Rhode Island...

Maybe, Wyatt thought, that was one of the reasons why he wanted to marry her...she wasn’t interested in his obvious wealth.

“Well,” Wyatt said with a chuckle, “there’s nothing wrong with traveling in style. Your fiancé sounds like my buddies…I normally take I-5, but they told me I had to do this,” he said with a nod to the highway, “at least once.”

Lucy smiled broadly, “Oh yeah? And how do you like it?”

“I don’t know, ma’am.” Wyatt answered with a teasing grin, “I haven’t seen much of it, yet.”

“Oh right.” Lucy said despondently, “Sorry about that.”

“Not your fault.” Wyatt said with a shrug. “These things happen. I’m just glad I could help you out.”

They stood next to each other in silence as the sun sank ever lower on the horizon, dipping into a seemingly endless ocean whose inky blackness stood in stark contrast to the orange and pink streaked sky. “Isn’t it funny?” Lucy piped up after a while, “We’re both driving this for… really the first time and…here we are. It’s kinda like fate, isn’t it?”

“I don’t believe in fate.” Wyatt said simply as he shrugged, “i believe in choices. We make some good decisions, we make some bad decisions...and in the end, we hope it all works out.” Lucy nodded at him thoughtfully as he continued with a smirk, “I needed a vacation, so I made a few plans, listened to some bad advice, and got to help a damsel in distress instead.”

She gaped at him apologetically before sheepishly muttering, “I’m really sorry I ruined your vacation. Who wants to spend their day off, stuck on the side of the road with someone they don’t even know?” She shook her head and pulled out her phone, “You should just go…I’ll call them again, they can’t be much farther now.”

“No it’s fine, Lucy…I was only kidding.” he assured her “It’s really not a big deal.” Wyatt said with a shrug, “it’s just me taking a few days away…I don’t have to get there at any particular time.”

Lucy smiled gratefully, “Th…thank you. Really…I….I haven’t driven this far on my own…for a while.” she admitted with a gulp, “Part of this was me doing something I always wanted to do and the other…well, it was sort of me facing my fears.” She nodded, and Wyatt noticed with sudden concern that she was now suddenly blinking back tears, “When the car just stopped…I…” she trailed off as her emotions got the better of her.

Turning his attention fully to her, Wyatt tentatively reached out an arm, “Hey,” he asked quietly, “are you…are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Lucy breathed out in a watery chuckle, “I’m sorry…I’m being ridiculous” she wiped away a few stray tears as she added in a trembling voice, “Really, thank you for stopping…I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come along.”

Stunned by the change in her composure, Wyatt gaped at her wondering what the hell had traumatized her so much. Feeling like it wasn’t really his place to pry, he merely nodded as he responded quietly, “Sure thing, ma’am.”

She let out a watery laugh as she sought to compose herself, “There’s that ma’am again.”

“Sorry,” Wyatt admitted with a shrug, “force of habit.”

“You must not be from around here.” she observed wryly.

“Texas.” Wyatt admitted with a nod. “But I…uh…I’m at Camp Pendleton now.”

“Oh, you’re military…I should’ve guessed.” At his questioning glance, she explained, “the haircut, the manners…the ma’ams.” she smiled, “I don’t like to stereotype but…” she shrugged, “you sort of fit the bill….”

Wyatt smiled, “I didn’t realize I was that obvious.”

“Oh it’s not that…” Lucy tried to explain, “I didn’t mean to offend you or anything…I just…”

“Not at all.” Wyatt said with a slight shake of his head. “I…uh…joined the Army right after high school.” Lucy nodded at him pleasantly and seemed to be waiting for more. Not much of a talker, Wyatt wasn’t sure what else to say, but Lucy was already steps ahead of him.

“What made you decide on the Army?” she asked, but at Wyatt’s taken aback look, she suddenly felt self-conscious, “I…I mean, why not the Air Force, the Navy…not that your only choice was joining the military…I…I was just curious as to why you chose the Army…in particular.” she added with a flush.

“Well, it’s not the food, I can tell you that.” Wyatt joked, trying to set her mind at ease. Lucy smiled as he continued thoughtfully, “My grandpa was a war hero in the Army during World War II...great man…and I just always wanted to be like him….ya know? Make him proud.”

“It’s always nice to have a role model.” Lucy mused. “Which unit was he with?

“101st Airborne.” Wyatt said proudly, he was just about to explain who they were and what they did, when Lucy chimed back in.

“Wow…those were some brave men, they fought in so many battles on the Western front. Normandy, Battle of the Bulge, Operation Market Garden…” she frowned thoughtfully as she asked, “they’re known as the “tip of the spear,” isn’t that right?”

What the hell?

Wyatt gaped at her...he couldn’t help but be surprised. In his experience, it was rare for anyone outside the military to know which military division fought in which battles during...well, any war, really....but Lucy would have been the last person on Earth that he ever would have pegged to know anything about any of that. Clearly impressed, Wyatt shook his head in disbelief, “I think you’re the first civilian I’ve ever met that could list their operations off like that.”

Lucy gave a sheepish shrug, “Well, I’m a professor…history and anthropology....so I am a fountain of useless…or useful information…depending on your point of view.”

“A professor?” Wyatt asked incredulously, looking at her with an impressed frown.

“You sound surprised.” Lucy observed with a wry smile.

“I am.” Wyatt admitted, “but not because I don’t think….I mean, when I think of a professor, I think of old men with patches on their sleeves…or I don’t know…a librarian spinster type…not…not…” Wyatt colored slightly as Lucy quirked her eyebrow at him, “I just…

The sound of a car horn startled them out of their conversation, both of them looking to the left to find the long awaited tow truck, easing onto the shoulder. Lucy turned to Wyatt with a smile, “Looks like you were saved by the bell.” she teased before holding out her hand, “Thanks again for stopping and…ya know” she added with a sheepish shrug, “keeping me company. I hope I didn’t put too much of a dent in your vacation plans.”

Wyatt took her outstretched hand and gave it one firm shake, “Not at all,..ma’am.” He said with a sheepish grin, “Happy to help.” She nodded at him with a pleasant smile and as she made her way over to the tow truck driver, Wyatt couldn’t help but inwardly berate himself for almost swerving past her like everybody else. She was nothing at all like he assumed she would be when he first laid eyes on her and that ridiculously expensive car. She seemed genuinely kind…and smart… and humble…and well, Wyatt was almost a little disappointed that their conversation had been cut short.

Not that he was interested in her…she had a fiancé, after all…and he…well, he wasn’t interested in getting mixed up in another relationship for a good long while. But still…she had been nice to talk to and while he was glad to be getting back to his well-deserved vacation, he had to admit that this detour, while at first, something he resented, had turned out to be…kind of a highlight.

He was just about to get back in his Jeep when he realized that Lucy would be at the mercy of the tow truck driver in terms of getting her safely situated at the shop or hotel or wherever it was she was headed…and while he, again, knew it wasn’t his damn problem he couldn’t help but feel somewhat responsible for her. He had helped her this much, after all…and he found he couldn’t leave without knowing she had a way to get back home safely. Pursing his lips, he shut his Jeep door and jogged over to where Lucy was now arguing with the tow truck driver.

“No.” he heard her say as he approached, “I can’t wait that long…I have to have this fixed tonight.”

“Shop’s closed.” The tow truck driver said simply, “You’re going to have to wait until tomorrow…and even then…I don’t know that we’ll have an alternator for this beauty in stock. Could be a few days.”

“I don’t have a few days…I’m supposed to be back home tonight…I have a…I have to be home tomorrow. You don’t understand…I can’t cancel again.” Lucy ran a worried hand through her hair as she asked, “How much to just tow this to San Francisco?”

The tow truck driver laughed, “$3 per mile… but if you think I can get this to San Francisco tonight…” Lucy breathed out in exasperation as Wyatt snapped to attention.

“Wait,” he interrupted, “you’re…you’re going to San Francisco?” At Lucy’s nod, Wyatt shrugged, “Well,…that’s where I’m going. I mean…if you need a ride…I guess I could take you.”

Lucy stared back at him, “Oh no…you’ve already done so much…” she said dismissively, “I can’t ask you…”

“You aren’t asking me.” Wyatt said simply, “I’m offering.” Lucy looked back at him doubtfully and Wyatt sighed, “Look, I get it…I wouldn’t jump in a car with someone I just met either…and if you were my….well, let’s just say I would never encourage this…but if you need to be in San Francisco by tomorrow night, I can get you there,” he smirked, “and you don’t have to pay me $3 a mile either.”

“Well, what about the car?” Lucy asked.

“Your insurance should cover some of the cost to tow it, isn’t that right?” Wyatt asked the driver who nodded in agreement, “Then give him your insurance information and tell him where you want this towed…anything else…I’m sure your fiancé will take care of.”

Lucy bit her lip nervously, “You’re sure you don’t mind? I mean, I’ve already ruined your drive…I’d hate for you to miss out on anything else because of me.”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I minded. Here,” he offered gently, “why don’t you finish up with him, give him all the information he needs and I’ll get your stuff and load it in my Jeep?” Lucy looked up at him in surprise and he chuckled, “I’m guessing you have a suitcase or something, right?”

“Ye…yes.” Lucy stammered as she handed him the keys, “I just…thank you…really, I just can’t even begin to tell you how much I appreciate this.”

“No problem, ma’am.” Wyatt said with a smirk as he popped open her trunk and tossed her back the keys.

She only had one small suitcase and a garment bag, hardly anything that required heavy lifting, but Wyatt felt more compelled than usual to play the part of a gentleman. It wasn’t just that Lucy was from a completely different social circle than he was, it was the entire situation. He could only imagine how nervous she must be, agreeing to go on a long drive, at night, with him…a complete stranger…and so, he wanted to do everything he could to set her mind at ease that he was someone she could trust.

After stowing her things next to his suitcase in the back of his Jeep, Wyatt clambered into the driver’s seat and started his engine, waiting patiently for her to finish with the tow truck driver. He noticed with a smile that even though she was talking with the driver, she was clandestinely texting on her phone while casting uneasy glances towards his Jeep and he couldn’t help but think that whoever she was texting (probably her fiancé, he thought) had made her think better of the whole arrangement. He wouldn’t have blamed her in the slightest…and so as she finally approached his Jeep with hesitancy, Wyatt half imagined that she was going to ask him to drop her off at the next town so she could get a rental car.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she opened his car door a plopped down in the passenger seat with a sigh, “Okay, I’m all set…you’re sure you want to do this?” she asked as she attempted to pull the seatbelt across her shoulder.

“Why not?” Wyatt shrugged, “It’s not like I’m going out of my way to get you home. Here,” Wyatt offered as he tugged on the belt, “let me help you with that, it’s kind of finicky.”

“I guess that’s true.” Lucy shrugged before she took the buckle from Wyatt, “But even so, you don’t know me. I mean, I could be a serial killer for all you know.” She leaned towards him playfully and added, “I’m not one, by the way.”

Wyatt barked out a laugh as he flipped on his blinker. He could hardly help it, thinking of this slight, anxious woman trying to sneak up on him, a fully trained Delta Force operative, from behind, in an attempt to do him in. Thank you for the assurance, ma’am.” he said with a nod as he began to ease the Jeep off of the shoulder, “It’s nice to know I don’t have anything to worry about on that front.” He chuckled lightly as he checked his blind spot and added, “And for the record, I’m not a serial killer either, so you can tell your fiancé you’re in safe hands.”

“I already did.” Lucy said quietly as she secured her seatbelt with a light click, and Wyatt couldn’t help but pause and turn to face her in surprise, “I know it’s silly,” she admitted sheepishly, “I mean, I don’t even know your name…but… I trust you.”

Wyatt gaped at her as a rush of gratitude swelled in his chest. He had no idea why this woman’s opinion should matter so much to him, but…for some strange reason, it did. Wyatt stammered out his thanks and turned his attention back to the road, feeling suddenly awkward. As they merged back onto the highway, he cleared his throat and muttered, “It’s Wyatt, by the way…Wyatt Logan.”

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Wyatt Logan,” Lucy said with a smile, before teasing, “finally.”

Wyatt glanced over at her and smiled. When he had set out that morning he had had high hopes of spending a much-needed weekend of alone time with Jessica…a time for them to at least be the friends they once were. After the nightmare of seeing her with her new boyfriend, he didn’t think he would be able to enjoy one second of his trip to San Francisco. As it stood right now, however, he was feeling pretty good thanks to the near stranger sitting right next to him. His Grandpa Sherwin always taught him that the best thing to do for a bad day is to help someone else out with theirs…and well, he had…and as usual, Grandpa Sherwin was right. Unable to keep himself from grinning as he looked back towards the road, Wyatt replied with a nod, “Likewise…ma’am.”


	2. Chapter 2

So…history, huh?”

They had been driving in awkward silence for a few miles and while Wyatt wasn’t expecting this drive to be the most comfortable road trip for either of them, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to at least pass the time with some conversation…even if he really wasn’t much of a talker himself. Finding out that she was a professor had been surprising enough, but history? He had always imagined history professors to comprised of stuffy old men with flat monotone voices, reading glasses precariously balanced on the end of their noses…certainly not anyone like her. 

Lucy smiled and shrugged in acknowledgement but said nothing more, so Wyatt teased, “Let me guess, you chose history because all of the cool kids were doing it?”

Lucy rolled her eyes, but smiled broadly as she explained, “It was because of my mother, actually.” At Wyatt’s raised eyebrows, Lucy couldn’t help but laugh at herself as she acknowledged, “Lame, I know…but…she’s…brilliant…practically built the History Department at Stanford and I…I always wanted to be just like her.”

Wyatt smiled to himself, “Yeah, I can understand that.”

“You had your grandfather, right?” Lucy said, nodding reminiscently. “It’s why you joined the Army?”

“Well, not _just_ the Army.” Wyatt admitted almost shyly, “My grandfather was in the 101st…that’s a lot to live up to.” He shrugged, “So, I felt like I had to be better than just some average grunt in the service…”

Lucy quirked her brow at him, “Don’t tell me…you’re with some special forces unit…” 

“Yes ma’am…Delta Force.” Wyatt said with a slight shrug. 

“You’re just trying to impress me now.” Lucy said teasingly. “You can’t expect me to believe that I was actually rescued by a real-life Delta Force soldier. Aren’t you supposed to be off saving the world?” 

Wyatt rolled his eyes good-naturedly, “We do take days off…”

“Well,” Lucy added with a wry smile, “who do I write to for your commendation medal?” Wyatt dismissed her with a chuckle, but she rounded on him playfully, "You think I'm not being serious, right now? Here you are on your day off, saving people from the side of the road...there's got to be some kind of ribbon or award for that." 

"Between you and me, ma'am, I don't think picking up desperate women from the side of the road counts. In fact," he added as he quirked his lip into a devilish smirk, "I'm pretty sure they frown on that sort of thing."

Lucy turned to him in surprise, her mouth gaping open in shock as the realization of what he said hit her full force. Bursting out laughing, she covered her face with her hands as a flush of embarrassment crept its way onto her cheeks. "Yes," she breathed out between giggles, "I imagine they would." She bit back her laugh, pursing her lips together as she nodded seriously, "Well, thank you for making an exception in my case." 

"No problem, ma'am...just doing my civic duty." 

They drove on in silence for a while, both of them smiling to themselves before Lucy leaned her head back and sighed, “I guess getting into Delta Force made your grandpa pretty proud…”

Wyatt shifted uncomfortably, “I’m sure he…I mean…” clearing his throat, he shook his head, “he didn’t know. The um…notice came down just a few days after he died.” He frowned thoughtfully as he continued, “All I ever wanted was to make him proud and in the end…it didn’t matter.”

Lucy frowned, “What do you mean?” she asked gently. 

Wyatt shrugged, “I don’t know…I guess I just realized a little too late that he was proud of me no matter what. It didn’t matter what I had done or hadn’t done…he just wanted _me_ to be happy.” Lucy nodded slightly as she cast her eyes down to her hands, looking slightly uncomfortable. Casting an uneasy glance towards her, Wyatt cleared his throat., “So,” he asked hesitantly, “how about you? You followed in your mother’s footsteps…did you turn out just like her?”

Lucy scoffed, “No…oh no…she’s “world-class”…everybody says so….I’m…I’m just a teacher” she dismissed, but Wyatt couldn’t help but feel that she was not giving herself enough credit. Granted, he hadn’t known her that long, but she had impressed him and while that maybe didn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, he couldn’t remember the last time someone had done that…particularly with something as mundane as Army knowledge. 

“You’re more than just a teacher, though, right?” Wyatt asked, “You’re a professor…”

Lucy smiled, “I teach…that’s what I do…but my mother, she...she's a world renown historian. She's written so many books and she's considered the authority on so many different eras. She can't even walk into a restaurant without somebody knowing who she is...." Lucy scoffed, "Who am I kidding? Everybody knows who she is.”

“No offense, ma’am," Wyatt stated with a meaningful nod, "but I've never even heard of her and even if I did…I probably wouldn’t care.”

Lucy laughed despite herself. With a sigh and a shake of her head she continued to explain, “I grew up thinking I was going to be just like her…I mean, she _wanted_ me to follow in her footsteps, wanted me to inherit all that she had worked for…and when you’re _the_ Carol Preston’s daughter,” she scoffed in a voice that grew softer and more despondent, “there are a lot of expectations…and sometimes, I’m just not sure…”

She trailed off, looking somewhat embarrassed by her admittance, leaving Wyatt feeling a little sorry that he had apparently stumbled on a sensitive subject for her. “That can be tough…” he said gently, “living in someone else’s shadow, trying to make your own name for yourself.” 

He frowned, “Was…was there anything else you wanted to do…I mean, besides history?”

“Well, my sophomore year,” Lucy admitted quietly as a flush of embarrassment spread across her cheek, “I was going to give up the whole history thing and um…join a band.”

Wyatt had to bite back a laugh. Out of every possible career choice he had imagined Lucy wanting to pursue, “joining a band” was not among them. True, he had only just met her, but she absolutely did not strike him as the type who would do anything remotely spontaneous…hell, hadn’t she said herself that she was decided on driving to San Diego, in part, to face down her own fears? For someone as anxious and high-strung as she appeared to be, to give up a, what he imagined to be, an ivy-league education to travel around in some dingy van playing gigs up and down the coast? No, he would never have dreamed that up in a thousand years. Brimming with curiosity now, Wyatt momentarily darted his eyes to her as they drove along, chuckling in bemusement, “Now this I gotta hear.”

Lucy cast her eyes down in her lap, her fingers twisting nervously as she explained, “Well, I always enjoyed singing…but that was never anything my mother took seriously. It was okay for a hobby,” she mimicked as she quirked her lip, “but…hobbies don’t pay the bills, right? Hobbies are just for fun.” she said somewhat forcefully, the resentment in her voice betraying the aloofness she was trying to project. 

Wyatt, unsure of whether he should pry any further, shifted awkwardly in his seat, “Well,” he began in an attempt to lighten the mood, “I hate to disagree with someone as “brilliant” as your mother, but some people make a hell of a lot of money with their hobbies.” Lucy offered him a smile, but Wyatt could tell there was a sadness in her eyes – regret – and he though he hardly knew her, he hated seeing it. What’s more, he couldn’t help but be intrigued by the whole revelation. Lucy seemed to him as someone who had her life completely together, who had known from her earliest days what she would want to be. “So…” Wyatt began tentatively, “how does someone who always wanted to be like her mother, end up wanting to give that all up to join a band?” 

Lucy shrugged, “I don’t know I just remember sitting in my Medieval Studies class – my third history course of the day and feeling completely overwhelmed by…everything.” She gave a derisive laugh as she continued, “I just wanted to quit…I felt like I could never measure up.” She sighed, “I think everyone sort of goes through that at some point…”

“Yeah, but they change their major, get a new job…but you,” Wyatt smiled, “you wanted to join a band.” 

“Well, I didn’t just come up with that idea out of thin air,” she said defensively, “After class, I went to the student center to grab a coffee and I saw this ad...a local band was searching for a lead singer and the next day I was there…auditioning.”

Wyatt looked over at her apologetically, “I’m guessing you didn’t get the job.”

“No,” Lucy said with a shaky sigh as she looked out of the window, “I got it…”

“Then what happened?” Wyatt almost demanded, “Why didn’t you do it?”

Lucy’s eyes darted to his, and immediately he could tell she was uneasy. She cast her eyes to her hands and stammered, “Well…I…um…was driving home to tell my mother what had happened…what I was going to do. I was going through the whole speech in my head and I uh…I wasn’t paying attention…”she swallowed hard, her voice quavering as she continued, “I lost control of the car and…ended up in a river. The water…it started rushing in and I couldn’t get the door opened…I couldn’t get out of my seatbelt…”

As tears began to fall from Lucy’s eyes, Wyatt pulled off to the side of the road, feeling like a complete ass for inadvertently causing her to relive what he could only imagine was the most traumatic experience of her life. Once safely parked, he turned to her and rubbed her arm, “Hey…I’m sorry…I didn’t mean…I mean, I didn’t know.”

Lucy offered him a watery, grateful smile and shook her head, “No, it’s alright…like you said…you didn’t know.”

“Is that why you don’t like to drive on your own anymore?” he asked quietly. 

Lucy nodded as she quickly wiped away her tears, “Yeah…when I made it to San Diego, I was so damn happy,” she let out a derisive laugh, “I thought I had finally faced down my fears…”

Wyatt nodded in understanding before asking with some hesitation, “So…how…how did you get out?”

“Someone stopped…just like you did” Lucy said quietly, “I don’t even know where they came from. Suddenly they were just there and they pulled me out…got me to safety.” Lucy looked down at her trembling hands as she added ruefully, “After that…I just…I guess I just wanted to feel…safe. So, I went right back to school and finished my degree…just like I was supposed to do.” She let out another derisive laugh, “That’s what I get for trying to do something that crazy, right? I mean, looking back on it now…I don’t even know what I was thinking.” She shrugged her shoulders in embarrassment as she quietly added, “It was so stupid.”

“It wasn’t stupid.” Wyatt countered seriously, “So you wanted to do something fun…that’s not stupid at all.”

“Yeah.” Lucy said with a short laugh, “but…I mean, look at me, I fall apart just talking about it. I’m terrified to drive long distances by myself, I’m claustrophobic…all because I tried to do something absolutely insane. And then the one time I actually tried to beat this, to face my fears, I end up stranded in the middle of the highway…I can’t win.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Wyatt shrugged as he turned back to the wheel, checking his blindspot. “I mean, you’re alive, aren’t you?” Lucy smiled slightly and shrugged as he continued, “You may have seen it as…I don’t know…fate telling you you had made a bad decision, but think about it, both times you have done something that you wanted to do and had a problem, someone stopped to give you a hand…you may not see that as luck, but I sure as hell do.” 

“Huh…I never really thought of it that way.” Lucy mused with a soft smile as Wyatt began to pull back onto the highway, “I guess…maybe I _have_ been pretty lucky.” She laughed at herself, “You know when Noah’s car just stopped there in the middle of the highway, I really thought I was cursed.” A sudden jolt followed by the unmistakable sound of a thud however, had her looking to Wyatt in alarm, “What…what was that?”

“Dammit.” Wyatt breathed out as he re-maneuvered his Jeep to the shoulder, “It’s nothing…probably just a flat tire.”

Lucy let out a little whimper and covered her face with her hands, as they limped to the side of the road, “I’m so sorry.” she muttered, “So much for not being cursed…”

Wyatt scoffed as they rolled to a stop, “Lucy, it’s a flat tire. You’re not cursed – these things just…happen.”

“Well they seem to happen to me all the time.” she muttered, as they both opened their car doors and stepped out to assess the situation, “What are the odds that my car breaks down and you get a flat tire in the same night?”

“I probably just ran over something,” Wyatt said unconcernedly, “people throw all kinds of garbage onto the side of the highway.”

“So what you’re saying is this is ultimately my fault because you stopped to help me?”

“I didn’t say that at all.” Wyatt said with a shrug as he opened his,“besides, even this did happen because I stopped to help you…I’d say it’s a small price to pay.”

A small price to pay for what?” Lucy asked defensively, 

Wyatt smirked at her as he began pulling out their bags from the back of the Jeep so he could remove the spare. “For helping you get over your fears. C’mon,” he said as he motioned for her to join him at the back of the Jeep, “I’ll teach you how to change a tire.”

Lucy stared back at him blankly, “What? Why…why would you do that?”

Wyatt turned to look at her incredulously, “Why wouldn’t I do that?” He sighed, “Growing up in West Texas, there’s not a lot around…you could drive for miles and miles before you could even find a gas station.”

“So…what’s your point?”

“My point is before I was even allowed to drive, I had to learn how to take care of things…learned what to do if I found myself stranded on the side of the road.” Wyatt grunted as he pulled the tire out and set it on the ground beside him, “It’s amazing what knowing how to change a tire or how to jump start an engine can do for your confidence when you’re some 15-year-old kid stuck out in the middle of the West Texas desert with a beat-up old Chevy.” Lucy stared back at him, an unreadable expression on her face. “Look,” Wyatt sighed, afraid he had offended her, “I get why you’re nervous about driving long distances…hell, I admire you for even having the guts to get back in a car again after what you went through…but if breaking down on the side of the road…or if getting a flat tire is enough to send you into a panic, well, you’re never going to stop being afraid…not unless you learn to take control of the things you can take control of.” 

“Like changing a tire?”

Wyatt shrugged, “Yeah…like changing a tire. You said yourself you wanted to feel safe…well, you’ll feel a hell of a lot safer on the road if you know how to do certain things on your own.”

“So…you want to teach me…so that I’ll feel safe?”

“Well…yeah.” Wyatt said with a shrug, “Why not?” He smirked as he held out the tool kit to her, “It’s not like someone’s always gonna be around to save the day…one of these days, ma’am…you may have to save yourself.”

Lucy couldn’t help but smile as she made her way towards him. “That…that’s got to be one of the most thoughtful things anyone has ever offered to do for me.” She took the tools from his outstretched hand and offered him a doubtful look, “You realize I don’t know the first thing about changing a tire?”

“Gotta start somewhere.” Wyatt grunted as he hoisted the tire into his arms. 

“Okay,” Lucy said nervously, “but what if I mess it up? What if I somehow make it worse?”

“You’re not gonna make it worse.” Wyatt said with a laugh, “Seriously…how the hell could you even make a flat tire worse?”

“You obviously don’t know me very well,” she said as she made her way over to the damaged tire, “I have a reputation for…” she sighed and shook her head in embarrassment, “let’s just say I have two left feet when it comes to just about…everything.”

“Well, that’s alright, because you’re not going to be using your feet for this.” Wyatt grunted as he knelt down beside her as he handed her the lug wrench, “you’re going to be using your hands.” 

With a skeptical look, Lucy took the tool from him and crouched down on the ground beside him, “Okay…well don’t say I didn’t warn you.” With a sigh, she turned to the ruined tire and shrugged, “Alright, what do I do first?”

Wyatt nodded to the tire, “Take off the hub cap…use the flat end of the lug wrench…that’s right…” he coached as she began to pry it off, “just be careful, you don’t want to get dirt all over yourself.”

No sooner had Wyatt warned her about the dirt, then Lucy yanked the hubcap free, brandishing it victoriously, “I did it!” she exclaimed but in her excitement nearly toppled over, causing Wyatt to lunge towards her to steady her. 

‘Whoa…easy there, professor.” he said with a smirk, noting that she now had a large smudge of black dirt across her cheek, “We’re not finished yet.” He took the hubcap from her and handed her a handkerchief as he explained, “You want to keep the hubcap close by,” he flipped it over, “that way you can use it to hold all of these little lug nuts when you take them out.”

“Okay, that makes sense.” Lucy nodded, but Wyatt noticed she still had a large smudge on her face, “Now what do I do?”

Handing her the lug wrench again, Wyatt pointed to the tire, “Now, you’re going to loosen the lug nuts…don’t take them out yet…just get them loose. Alright?”

That was easier said than done, however. 

Fitting the lug wrench to the bolts, Lucy pushed with all her might, but to no avail. Straining with the effort, Lucy pressed her whole body against the tool, gasping out curse words when once again it did not budge. Deciding he would help, Wyatt moved to add his own strength to the struggle, placing his hand next to Lucy’s, but before he even got a grip on the lug wrench, it gave way…and Lucy’s elbow flew up…right into Wyatt’s nose.

“Oh…oh my gosh, Wyatt,” Lucy stammered as she quickly turned to assess the damage, “I’m so so sorry…are…are you okay?”

Wyatt was holding his hand up to his nose, his eyes watering slightly from the impact, but he raised his hand up and waved her away, “I’m alright.” he assured her as he shook his head, “That’s some elbow strike you’ve got there.” He lowered his hand and immediately Lucy could see the shiny evidence of her strike oozing out of his nose. Horrified, she quickly snatched up the handkerchief he had given her and held it up to his face, dabbing away at the trickle of blood even as he protested, “Lucy…I’m okay…it’s not a big deal…”

“No, it’s not alright…you’re bleeding” she gasped out, mortified by what she had done, “It was a total accident, I...I didn’t know you were right there…”she desperately explained as she continued to wipe the blood away from his face. 

Exasperated that she was making such a fuss, Wyatt gently grabbed onto her hand as she attempted to wipe away the blood once more. “Lucy…” he began but as her eyes darted to his in surprise, he was struck dumb. He was leaning against his Jeep, his legs outstretched and Lucy….in her attempt to help him had straddled his leg and was practically sitting on his lap, her left hand cupping his jaw, her right, still held in his hand.

They stared at each other for a few moments, neither one speaking, nor hardly breathing, the very air around them charged with a tension that hadn’t been present before. A passing car brought them to their senses, however, and as if suddenly realizing their awkward position, Lucy colored and removed her hand…muttering an apology as she quickly made her way back to the tire.

Clearing her throat and tossing back her head, she picked up the lug wrench again, looking absolutely determined to finish the job she had started. Once more, however, she found that the bolts would not budge. 

“Here,” Wyatt offered ,“why…why don’t I take care of this part?” Handing over the lug wrench sheepishly, Lucy watched as Wyatt quickly loosened each bolt before pulling out the jack and positioning it under his Jeep. “Before we lift up the Jeep, we…um… need to lock the wheels in place.” he said nodding to a couple of large plastic wedges. Lucy quickly complied, eager to be of some help…and Wyatt was grateful for it; not only because it cut down on the time it took to change the tire, but it gave him a few moments alone to compose himself.

She had been too close…and he had no idea why it had completely thrown him the way it did…but he wasn’t even about to dwell on that. She was engaged….and he was not an asshole. Well…maybe he was an asshole, but he wasn’t _that_ kind of an asshole.

Pursuing a woman who was clearly off-limits? No way in hell would he ever do that to some poor unsuspecting bastard…particularly since once upon a time he had been a poor unsuspecting bastard.

Jessica had been unhappy…he realized that now…but it still didn’t take away the sting of knowing that the ring on her finger didn’t mean a damn thing to the man who had wormed his way into their bed while he was risking his life on the other side of the world. 

Lucy may have been a pleasant surprise…she may have been interesting to talk to…but that was all it was and all it could ever be. Besides, there was no way in hell someone like her would even give someone like him a second thought. It had just been one of those awkward moments…and now that it was done, he was going to make damn sure they didn’t have anymore. 

Determined to distract himself from Lucy, Wyatt began cranking up the jack as she returned assuring her with a shrug that once he got the Jeep lifted he would walk her through the rest of the tire changing process. True to his word, moments later he was instructing her on how to remove the lug nuts holding the tire in place, reminding her to store them in the removed hub cap so they wouldn’t be lost. “I’ll um…get that tire,” Wyatt offered awkwardly as she removed the last of the lug nuts, “gotta throw it in the back of the Jeep anyway.”

“Al…alright.” Lucy nodded as she stepped away, giving Wyatt a wide berth. While he took care of the damaged tire, Lucy picked up the spare, turning it over in confusion, “Why is it so small?”

“It’s just a donut.” Wyatt grunted as he placed the old tire in the tire well. “It’ll get us to the next town and then we can get a new tire and be on our way.” He carefully replaced their bags before making his way back over fully prepared to walk Lucy through the rest of the tire changing process only to find that she was already tightening the lug nuts on the spare. “What…what are you doing?” he asked in surprise. 

“Oh…I…I just thought I’d try to…that way you didn’t have to…I mean…I should have waited for you…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.” Wyatt said with a derisive chuckle as he knelt down to admire her handiwork, “You changed a tire…you should be patting yourself on the back right now.”

“Are…are you serious? You mean, I did it right?” 

“Yeah, you did it right.” Wyatt said as he tightened the lug nuts with the wrench, “All that’s left is to lower the Jeep, remove the wheel blocks, and you will have successfully changed a tire.”

Lucy looked completely surprised by his pronouncement, “I…I did? Oh my God…I did, didn’t I?” She let out an incredulous laugh as her hand flew to her forehead, “I can’t believe it…it was so easy…I mean, not that…” she offered him an apologetic shrug, “I just didn’t think I would ever be able to do something like this…” 

Wyatt couldn’t help but smile broadly at her genuine amazement; she was beside herself with excitement over something he thought was as everyday normal as pumping your own gas. He shrugged as he picked up the jack, “It’s not a big deal…anyone can do it.”

“It may not be a big deal to you.” Lucy said with a grateful smile as she opened her car door, “But it is to me…no one ever took the time to...” she paused, biting her lip guiltily as if thinking better of her words, “I mean…” she said finally, “thank you, for teaching me.”

Wyatt frowned thoughtfully as he replaced the jack and got back in the driver’s seat, “If it weren’t for my dad and my grandpa,” he said finally once they had gotten back on the road, “I wouldn’t know how to do this stuff. I mean, they taught me how to check and change my oil, change a tire, jumpstart the battery…but I also lived out in the middle of nowhere. That stuff came with the territory. I guess living in a big city you don’t have to worry about stuff like that…so I’m sorry if I um…made you feel bad for not knowing.”

“No.” Lucy breathed out in astonishment, “Oh no…you didn’t offend me at all.” She shrugged as she continued, “I guess it was just never anything that anyone thought was important for me to learn.”

“Too busy reading books, writing papers…” Wyatt teased. 

“Something like that.” Lucy said with a smile, “I just take my car into the dealership to have whatever needs to be done…done. I don’t think I’ve ever even looked under the hood of my car.”

Wyatt nodded thoughtfully, but it was what she had almost confessed that had him brimming with curiosity. She was obviously sheltered…that much was abundantly clear…but why did he get the feeling that there was something else going on?

As they passed a road sign, he nodded, “We’re getting close to Vandenburg AFB…I could try to stop there for a new tire, but I think the Auto Center will be closed by now. We could see what there is in Las Cruces or Buellton…”

“Buellton…I stopped there for gas on my way down to San Diego.” Lucy smiled, “I wanted to explore Solvang - it’s a charming little Danish town, right next to it.” she explained, “I saw it on _HGTV_ and thought it would be a nice place to visit sometime, but I was already running late and so I only got to drive through it.”

“So, why don’t we go there now?” Wyatt suggested, “It’s bound to have a tire place, right?”

Lucy gaped at him in surprise, “R…really? You’d do that for me?” she asked incredulously. 

“Well yeah…I mean, if It’s right next to this Buellton then our chances of finding a tire place between the two of them are pretty high.” Wyatt shrugged, “I can get this tire fixed and you can go see this town you’ve always wanted to see. Win – Win.”

With a beaming smile, Lucy looked out of the window, happy excitement evident on all of her features and Wyatt, despite his earlier commitment to not be overwhelmed by her charms, couldn’t help but feel damn grateful that he hadn’t left her on the side of the road. Her joy at learning how to change a tire and going to see some Travel Channel worthy town was nothing short of infectious. She had made his day so much better than it had been and so he was glad that he could return the favor somewhat. The flat tire, while definitely an inconvenience, seemed more like a stroke of good luck; he doubted Lucy would have ever told him about Solvang and her desire to see it if this hadn’t happened and now…now he was able to help her do something she wanted to do…and after that story about her not joining the band, he figured she kind of deserved it. 

Win – Win, indeed. 

Twenty minutes later they were pulling into the village of Solvang and Wyatt couldn’t help but marvel at the place. It was exactly as Lucy had described…even more so. It hardly felt like they were in Southern California anymore what with the old timey windmill and the Tudor-style buildings lining the streets. 

“Ooo boy…looks like we got here just in time for Danish Days” Wyatt noted as they passed under a large banner, “Sounds like fun.” The entire town was a buzz with activity. There were people walking all along the streets, live music and from the looks of it, they were getting ready for a parade. “Um…how about a drop you off here and I’ll try to go find the tire place? That way you can be here for all of this and not have to tag along with me.”

“You’re sure? You don’t mind?” Lucy asked before smiling conspiratorially, “You’re not gonna ditch me, are you?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, ma’am.” Wyatt said with a smirk, “Here…” he offered, “just give me your number and I’ll call you or text you when I’m finished.”

Lucy smiled as she began typing it into his phone, “No crank calls…okay?” Lucy handed him back his phone with a flourish, and Wyatt couldn’t help but let out a light chuckle when he noted that she had listed herself as “Damsel in Distress”. 

She was just getting out of the Jeep when Wyatt called out to her, “Hey, you be safe out there, okay? Don’t talk to strangers….” he ignored her glare and pressed, “I’m serious…not everyone is as honest and upstanding as I am…who knows what kind of shady characters you could run into at a…what is this thing again?”

“Danish Days” Lucy said with an eye roll, but she was giggling. “You know you’re talking to the woman who jumped into a car with a complete stranger to bum a ride to San Francisco, right?”

“That’s my point.” Wyatt teased, “Your record is stacked against you ma’am. Look, I just don’t want to get this tire fixed just to find out you’ve run off with some other guy with a Mustang or a Camaro or…”

“Don’t worry…I won’t.” Lucy said as she leapt out of the Jeep, turning to him with an impish grin. “You still have my suitcase.” She winked as she shut the door, leaving Wyatt completely entranced as he watched her disappear into the crowd. 


	3. Chapter 3

_“_ You have got to be kidding me.”

Wyatt threw back his head in exasperation and slammed his hands down on the steering wheel, peering through squinting eyelids at the “Closed” sign in the tire shop window. He had spent the better part of an hour driving all over the Buellton/Solvang area in search of an open service station, but had been disappointed at every turn. 

This had been his last hope.

He looked down at his phone, wondering whether or not he should call Lucy…feeling like this was news he should probably tell her in person. He knew how desperate she was to get home and so far, her trip had been nothing but disappointment after disappointment; the breakdown, the flat tire…and now this. He wasn’t sure what she needed to get home for, but now it was readily apparent that he would not be the one getting her there. 

At least not tonight, anyway. 

He didn’t know why, but the thought of her possibly finding another way home bothered him. After what she had told him about her accident and the fear she had of driving alone, the thought of her jumping in a rental car and heading off on a 300-mile journey all by herself…and at night, filled him with unexpected concern. She was a grown woman, had already driven to San Diego on her own….it wasn’t like she wasn’t capable…but he felt somehow responsible for her and her safety. Which was stupid, because who was she, really, to him? Just a random woman he didn’t even know existed until two hours ago. 

Still, the idea of not seeing her safely home…

Sighing heavily, Wyatt shifted his Jeep back into drive and decided he would just head back to Solvang and attempt to find Lucy. He held out little hope that she would be pleased with the news and since she already felt responsible for whatever strange reason about his flat, he figured it would probably be best to tell her about this setback in person so she could see that he wasn’t upset with her…even if he was strangely disappointed. Maybe if he offered to buy her dinner and get her set up with a good, reliable rental it would make him feel a little better about the way this trip turned out. 

After finally securing a parking space, Wyatt strolled through the town in search of Lucy. There were all sort of events going on, axe throwing, a beer drinking contest, a concert in the park. There were quaint shops filled with Christmas ornaments and handmade toys, pottery and steins, vendors in white tents lines the sidewalks…yet everywhere Wyatt looked, there was no sign of her…not even in the Living History exhibit. Getting slightly concerned, he sent her a text…but when she didn’t respond after fifteen minutes, Wyatt decided he’d just give her a call… 

Voicemail. 

More than a little unnerved now, he raced along the streets checking every shop, every exhibit...but still nothing. He tried to tell himself that there were lots of people, and it was noisy and that Lucy probably hadn’t heard his phone call, but even those attempts at self-assurance didn’t prevent him from approaching a police officer and casually asking him about how much crime there generally was at these Danish Days events. When the police officer assured him that apart from the occasional drunken brawl and petty thief, Solvang was a relatively safe place, Wyatt couldn’t help but feel silly. Lucy could be anywhere in this town, they were probably just missing each other. 

Deciding he would just try to enjoy the festival himself, he opted to stroll along the quaint streets and try to have a good time. The band playing in the center of the town wasn’t to his taste, so he wandered a little further away until he found himself facing a quaint corner of the town he hadn’t explored yet. A large Tudor edifice, sat at the end of the tree-lined street along with a nice pub-style restaurant. As he meandered down to have a look at their menu, the sound of rapturous applause from across the street filled the air. He was just settled on going into the pub to get himself a dark ale when the applause stopped and he suddenly heard Lucy’s voice thanking the audience as they cheered her on. Turning abruptly, Wyatt noted the large banner strewn across the Tudor building just opposite the pub “Karaoke Competition” and he couldn’t help but smile to himself as he thought of Lucy getting the chance to live out her dream. Rushing across the street, he made his way through the open doors into what was actually a large open air theatre where on stage, looking absolutely delighted and singing to her heart’s content, was one Lucy Preston.

To say Wyatt was impressed with her talent would be an understatement. Sure, she had told him she had wanted to join a band, but listening to her sing was something else entirely. He had no idea what song she had even selected, but he knew that without a doubt she was heads and tails better than anyone he had ever heard live before. As she finished her song to thunderous applause and a cacophony of whoops and whistles, Wyatt rushed forward, beaming with pride as she made a slight bow and handed the microphone off to the next competitor. Racing down the stone steps towards the stage, Wyatt met her as she stepped down, breathless and grinning. “I leave you alone for one hour…” he remarked as she spun around in surprise, “That was some singing, Professor.”

“You heard me?” she asked, flushing with embarrassment, “I didn’t realize you were…do you really think I was good?”

“Are you kidding?” Wyatt asked her incredulously, “Lucy, this whole place just went nuts….one might even say that was “world-class.”

Rolling her eyes at him dismissively, Lucy blushed. “Well,” she said with a shrug, “I’m glad you think so.” 

“I don’t think anyone who heard you would argue that you didn’t knock it out of the park.” Wyatt assured her, “I’m serious, Lucy…that was amazing. When you told me you wanted to be a singer I…”

“What?” she said with a smile, “You didn’t believe that I could sing, did you?”

“No” Wyatt said a little too quickly, “No…that’s not it…I just…I just…” Lucy offered him a sardonic smirk as he continued to stammer through an explanation, “Look, you said you could sing and I believed you, okay? But you know how people talk themselves up…. I just thought you’d…I don’t know…be more like the classical type.”

“What, like opera?” Lucy asked with a laugh.

“Something like that, yeah.” Wyatt nodded. “You definitely surprised me…hell, for someone who…”

“Lucy Preston!” an amplified voice called over the loud speaker causing both of them to jump as the crowd around them erupted in cheers.

“What…what just happened?” Lucy asked in confusion as hands began to usher her back onto the stage. 

“I think you just won.” Wyatt responded with a grin. 

“What?” she asked but before she even knew what was happening she was back on the stage, accepting the award for a first-place finish. Wyatt shook his head, laughing as she fumbled with the envelope they handed her, dropping it nervously as blundered her way through a thank you speech, causing the feedback on the microphone to squeak loudly as she stooped to pick it up.

The moment her short speech was over, she raced down the steps of the stage where Wyatt was waiting for her. He was just about to congratulate her when she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a backbreaking hug. 

“Whoa.” Wyatt breathed out as he stumbled backwards slightly, completely taken off-guard.

“Thank you.” she sighed as she squeezed him tighter. 

“Thank…for what? I didn’t do anything.” Wyatt muttered shyly as she pulled away from him. 

“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.” Lucy reminded him, “You made this… _all_ of this possible. When my car broke down, I thought today was going to be one of the worst days of my life…but…” she blushed furiously as she realized she still had her arms wrapped around Wyatt’s neck. Stepping away from him sheepishly, she held up the envelope, grinning as she spoke more to her feet than to Wyatt, “I guess it turned out all right after all….in fact, I’d say today was really one of the best days I’ve had in a while.”

“That makes two of us.” Wyatt admitted quietly causing Lucy to look up at him in surprise. Clearing his throat nervously, he stammered “Um…You hungry? I uh…saw a place just across the street…”

“Starving.” Lucy admitted with a sigh before tapping him on the arm with her envelope, “But it’s my treat...”

“No, Lucy….it’s okay…” Wyatt began but Lucy wouldn’t hear it.

“You saved me from the side of the road and brought me here…someplace I’ve been dying to see…the very least I can do to thank you for all of that is buy you dinner.” she argued, “Besides, I just won $750...I think there’s an unwritten law somewhere that dictates that drinks…or in this case, dinner…is on me.”

Hardly daring to argue with her final point, Wyatt nodded his head towards the direction of the door, listening to Lucy describe in animated detail how she happened to hear about the karaoke contest while walking through one of the shops and had only planned to listen to the other singers. “I wasn’t even going to sing.” she explained as they were shown to their table, “I don’t know what came over me…I just was sitting there in that theatre and everyone was having such a good time…” She stopped as Wyatt grinned broadly at her, “What?”

“Nothing.” Wyatt said with a shake of his head, “You just look really happy…I mean, seeing you up there on stage…you didn’t even seem like the same person.”

“How so?”

Wyatt shrugged, “I don’t know…you’ve just been so anxious since I met you…but singing in front of hundreds of people didn’t bother you one bit…I guess it was really neat seeing you kinda live out your dream.”

“Well, it was all thanks to you. I mean it, Wyatt,” she added as he dismissed her with a shake of his head, “you got me here…and I don’t think…I mean…even if I would have made it here by myself….I don’t know that I would’ve have even stayed in Solvang long enough to enjoy all of this as much as I have. I’m just sorry it had to be because of a flat tire…were you able to get it fixed?”

“Uh…well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” he said with a hint of anxiety in his voice, “I’ve got some bad news.” Setting down her menu, Lucy gave Wyatt her full attention as he explained, “All the tire places around here were closed…I know you said you needed to get back to San Francisco as soon as possible…but I…I’m not going to be able to take you there.” A flicker of what looked an awful lot like disappointment flickered across Lucy’s face and as much as Wyatt hated to admit it, he was somewhat pleased that she appeared to look as upset as he felt about this turn of events. 

“Oh.” she said quietly, “I…I understand.” She looked up at him, helpless, anxious…a certified mess. Gone was the confidence and joy of only a few moments ago…now she was every bit the Lucy he had first met mere hours before. “I guess I can try to find a rental or something…”

“I don’t want you to do that.” The words were out of his mouth before they even registered in his mind…before he could even stop himself. Her eyes darted to his, shocked, surprised…and unless Wyatt’s brain was playing tricks on him…hopeful. Taking that as encouragement, Wyatt cleared his throat anxiously, “I mean…um…I know you don’t like to drive far by yourself…and it’s going to be late by the time you get to San Francisco…” 

“I don’t understand.” Lucy responded blankly, “How else am I going to get home? I mean, if you don’t want to take me.”

“I do want to take you.” Wyatt blurted out, “I just…I can’t get this tire fixed until tomorrow morning…but if you…if you need to get home, maybe your mom could come down and pick you up...or your fiance?" he suggested weakly. 

Lucy let out a mirthless laugh, "Oh no, that...that's completely out of the question. My mother would never, I mean and I would never hear the end of it, she wanted me to fly...and Noah...he's a doctor, he can't just pick up and leave." 

Of course, her fiance would be a doctor. Wyatt inwardly rolled his eyes and huffed out a breath, "I get that they're busy...but Lucy, don't they know about what happened to you? I mean, if I knew that my...let's just say that if I knew anybody who had gone through what you did and found themselves stranded again, I wouldn't think twice about dropping everything and making sure they got home safely." 

Lucy bit her lip, "It's not that they don't care." she said quietly. "It's just..." 

"Look, Lucy..." Wyatt groaned, feeling like a complete ass, "that's not what I meant. I just...I don't want you to drive by yourself, not after what you told me." He nodded at her as she looked up at him with a grateful smile, "I took responsibility for you when you got in my Jeep...and I just want to make sure you make it home okay...I mean I'd hardly be able to take any credit for saving a woman from the side of the road if I left her stranded again, right?" he teased. 

Lucy let out a small chuckle, "I guess not...but Wyatt, you've done so much for me already..." She sighed heavily, "But what else can we do? I'm sure I could make it home alright in a rental...but I'd feel bad leaving you here with your tire after you did all of this just to make me happy. It hardly seems fair." 

Wyatt took a deep breath, hardly believing he what he was about to suggest, "If you don’t mind waiting until tomorrow," he began nervously, "I’m sure we can find a hotel or something that will be able to set the two of us up…and then I can get you to wherever you need to by tomorrow evening.”

Much to his surprise and relief, the anxiety so evident on Lucy’s face just moments before melted away into a broad grin as she nodded in agreement, “That…that sounds perfect.” She colored slightly as she leaned forward a bit conspiratorially and whispered, “Between you and me, I’m not really ready to go home yet anyway.”

Wyatt didn’t blame her one bit. After talking briefly with her on the road, he imagined that she never did anything remotely spontaneous and if she did do anything for fun, it was probably not without the expressed permission of her mother. Wyatt’s own father had been a drunken asshole, he never even knew his mother, so he couldn’t quite imagine what it must be like for Lucy to have a parent so invested in her life and therefore what this little taste of freedom must mean for her. 

But it wasn’t just that. 

As they ate their meal, several people approached their table, commenting on how well she had done at the competition, congratulating her for her win, and telling her that she should make a career out of it, attempting to have Wyatt side with them, not so subtly inferring that the two of them were together in a much more intimate sense of the word. Embarrassed, Lucy apologized over and over again to Wyatt, but he found he was far from annoyed. Seeing her get recognized, marveling at the genuine smiles of gratitude that graced her lips time and time again…he was proud to even be sitting at the same table, to have any kind of association with her, no matter how small. 

After the fifth interruption, Wyatt couldn’t help but observe, “It’s too bad your mother couldn’t see all of this, you know? I think maybe then she wouldn’t describe your singing as just a hobby.”

Lucy frowned slightly as she absent-mindedly picked through her salad with her fork, “I doubt that.” she admitted quietly. “For her, history is more than just a field of study…it’s…a whole way of looking at and understanding the world. To be someone responsible for carrying on that knowledge, for ensuring that people don’t just understand the who, what and when…but the why…singing songs just don’t compare.”

“Maybe not to her.” Wyatt said bracingly, “But it seems to mean a hell of a lot to you.”

Lucy shrugged, “It’s nice.” she admitted, “but to do it as a career? No, my mother is right…that life if fine for some people, but it’s really not me.” She laughed at herself slightly as she continued, “I’m notoriously clumsy, anyway. You saw me up on stage when they gave me this,” she said as she lifted the envelope, “I’m hardly poised enough for something like performing.”

Wyatt wanted to tell her that he thought her little trip up on stage was endearing, but as the ring on her finger dazzled under the soft light of the chandelier above them, he thought better of it. Instead, he pressed, “Well, don’t you have to have a certain amount of poise to be a professor? Carting around all those books and things?”

Lucy smiled, “Not as much as you’d think.” She sighed, “Mostly if I’m not lecturing, I’m in my office grading term papers or I’m in the library doing research…it’s not something that requires a lot of grace…thankfully.”

“And this trip to San Diego?” Wyatt asked, “What was that for? Research?”

“No,” Lucy said with a shake of her head, coloring slightly as she did so, “It was for a conference at the University of California in San Diego. Well, really it was more like a symposium. I…I really wasn’t supposed to go on that trip.” she admitted, “They had invited my mother as the speaker for her new book, but my mother was so busy…and since I collaborated on the book with her…it was only natural that I go in her place.” 

“So…you went as a substitute for your mother?” Wyatt asked her, a hint of incredulity in his voice. “This thing in San Diego wasn’t even for you?”

Lucy bristled defensively, “It _was_ for me….it was for the book that I _helped_ write…my mother is just the primary author, so of course she was the one they invited.” As if to validate her own sense of self-worth, Lucy quickly added, “And they loved me…they even invited me to teach for them as a guest lecturer.”

“Well, that’s great” Wyatt said with a shrug, “did you take them up on it?”

“Well…no.” Lucy admitted in defeat, “I mean, I told them I would have to think about it.” At Wyatt’s look of complete and utter disbelief, she explained, “You just don’t understand. I can’t just pick up and leave my own job…my whole life is in Palo Alto. I mean...if it weren’t for my mother, I would have never gotten the position I have at Stanford.”

“Wait a minute,” Wyatt interrupted, “you work at Stanford …with your _mother_?” Wyatt asked incredulously.

“Yeah.” Lucy said despondently, before adding with a rueful smile, “I know what it sounds like…” she said almost apologetically, “I actually just wanted to teach at a small college in Ohio…nothing fancy… simple life…a simple job.”

So, why didn’t you?” Wyatt asked already feeling like he knew the answer to that question. 

“That wasn’t good enough for my mother.” Lucy said flatly. “She told me I couldn’t leave her…I couldn’t leave Stanford…that’s her whole legacy, her whole life…and she wanted it to be mine too.”

Wyatt shook his head in affronted disbelief. He didn’t know Lucy’s mother and yes, he realized he shouldn’t even give a damn…who was Lucy to him anyway? Just an engaged woman whose car had broken down on the side of the road. Still, he couldn’t help but feel for her…her life was definitely not her own. “I can see why she would think a small no-name college in Ohio would be a step down” Wyatt couldn’t help but comment, “but…doesn’t she want you to be happy?”

Lucy pursed her lips together thoughtfully, before sighing, “She knows what’s best for me…always has.” She let out a derisive laugh, “Do you know how difficult it is to get a professorship at Stanford? I mean, for someone with my limited experience? So, really, it’s…it’s best for my career in the long run.”

Wyatt shook his head with a scoff, ‘Yeah…and a lot of people thinking you’re riding on your mother’s coat tails too, I bet.”

Surprised, Lucy looked up at him, “Y..yes…I mean, obviously that’s…that’s not true…it’s not like I’m _not_ qualified...and I never asked her to…she just…wanted me at Stanford...but maybe it is true...maybe that’s what people think of me…that I only have this job because of her.”

Wyatt, seeing that he had obviously hit a sensitive issue for her tried to recover, “Oh no…listen, I didn’t mean…” he stammered out, but Lucy wasn’t listening to him, she was lost in her own thoughts, speaking almost to herself.

“It’s not like I ask her to play favorites…I expressly tell her not to…to treat me just like everybody else. In fact, I’d say she’s harder on me than everybody else…so I hardly think they would be under any kind of impression that I’m getting special treatment…”

“Listen,” Wyatt reiterated, “I didn’t mean that you weren’t…ya know…good at your job…all I’m saying is…I wanted to follow in my Grandpa’s footsteps, wanted to make him proud…but that was thing…he was _already_ proud of me. Getting into Delta Force didn’t change that…” Wyatt sighed as he rubbed a rough hand across his face, “What I’m saying is…it’s your mom. Of course, she wants you to be the best you can be…but that doesn’t mean you can’t be your best in Ohio or even at Stanford. I think at the end of the day, she’d just want you to be happy…with wherever you are.” Wyatt sighed, “I mean, what does your fiancé say about all this?”

‘About what?” Lucy asked blankly, “About my career?” Wyatt nodded, “Well…he agrees with my mother. I mean, we don’t really talk about it….he just thinks that Stanford is an excellent opportunity for me. Obviously, he wants me to be happy…” she added as Wyatt raised his eyebrows skeptically, “but ultimately…it’s about being successful, right?”

“Being successful in your career doesn’t automatically mean that you’re happy.” Wyatt argued gently with a shake of his head. “Believe me…I know _that_ from experience.” he muttered. Lucy’s eyes darted to his face in interest and confusion, but Wyatt was looking down at his empty plate, “You could be the best damn history professor in the world, but if you’re not happy with where you are…who you’re with…or what you’re doing…”

“You aren’t happy?” Lucy asked, her brow furrowed in concern, but just as Wyatt opened his mouth to respond, their waiter arrived bearing the check and Lucy once more insisted on paying for dinner, “No, Wyatt,” she reiterated, “you have done so much for me already, please let me do this one thing as my way of saying thank you.”

“Fine.” he relented with a sigh, “but tomorrow, breakfast is on me.”

“Fair enough.” Lucy said with a grin as she handed the waiter her card. 

Once they settled the check, they made their way out of the restaurant, deciding that they would meander around the town and find a hotel to accommodate the both of them. There was still a lot going on with the Danish Days and Lucy seemed all too eager to take as much of it as she possibly could…and Wyatt was happy to oblige her. 

She seemed like a genuinely kind and thoughtful person…someone who put other’s happiness above her own…so Wyatt almost felt like she deserved this…especially since he couldn’t help but feel that she was surrounded by people in her real life who took advantage of her selflessness. Of course, he didn’t actually know her mother or her fiancé…but it was becoming more evident to him, after talking with her off and on over the past few hours, that her life was not her own. Whether it was her job…or the damn car she drove on a trip she wasn’t even supposed to go on…decisions were being made for her…and he had no idea why the hell it bothered him so much…but it did. 

After procuring a couple of Danish pastries, they wandered around to a few little shops, each of them going their own separate ways, perusing the stores for things that sparked their interests. Wyatt found a store filled with numerous handmade beer steins and Lucy took interest in a shop that was filled with a myriad of intricate cuckoo clocks. Not interested in clocks himself, Wyatt wandered across the street to where a sizeable crowd had gathered. There, in the middle of the large park, were several large targets, surrounded by bales of hay and a slew of axes strewn about the ground. Wyatt laughed and shook his head as several people, most of whom had obviously had too much to drink at the nearby beer tent, made attempt after attempt to hit a target, only to fail miserably. “Give me a break.” Wyatt groaned as the next participant’s axe bounced off the target, handle first and clattered to the ground.

“Tell me, do they teach axe throwing in Delta Force?” Lucy’s voice sounded by his shoulder. 

He turned towards her, startled that he didn’t even hear her approach. Offering her a smug smirk, he shrugged, “Can’t be that hard. Can’t imagine it’s much different than throwing a knife.”

Lucy frowned as she took in the sad scene in front of her, “Well…you couldn’t do any worse than these people…or I don’t know…maybe you could…you know what they say about over-confidence.” 

“Is that a challenge?” Wyatt asked with a raised brow.

Lucy shrugged, “Well…if you think you’ve got what it takes…”

“To hit those targets?” Wyatt asked incredulously, “easy.” Rolling up his sleeves, eager to show off his own set of talents, Wyatt made his way over to the line and received three axes to throw. Never having thrown one before, Wyatt took some time getting a feel for its weight, the grip and balance of it before cocking his arm back and letting it fly towards the first target where it firmly planted itself in the wood, but nowhere near the bullseye. As the crowd clapped and laughed, Wyatt looked towards Lucy who shrugged at him indifferently and jeered loudly, “That’s not the bullseye.”

Winking at her, he made his second attempt and third attempt, one right after the other, both of them hitting their respective targets dead center. As the crowd erupted into cheers, Wyatt casually made his way over to Lucy, “You were saying, ma’am?”

“You missed that on purpose, didn’t you?” she asked, gaping at him.

“Practice shot.” Wyatt said with a shrug as he walked by her in mock indifference, “Took some concentration to hit it just outside of that ring though…”

Lucy stared after him as he continued to leisurely stroll down the street, hardly believing he could even be real. Catching up to him, she breathed out, “So…you really are Delta Force?”

“Did you think I was lying?” Wyatt asked her with a smirk.

“Well no….but….” she twisted her face in a grin and nudged him in the arm as she repeated his earlier words to her, “you know how people are…talking themselves up.” He smirked back at her as she continued to gush in disbelief, “You’re just so…so nice...I just….I guess I just had this idea in my head that special forces people were like these no nonsense tough guys.”

“Who says we’re not?” Wyatt teased. “Seriously, Lucy…it’s just training that’s all it is. We’re no different than anybody else.” He quirked his lip into a smirk, “We just have better aim.”

They walked on together for a little while longer, but as Lucy began to yawn violently, Wyatt suggested that they might as well start looking for a place to spend the night. “There’s a whole mess of little hotels down this street,” he noted, “chances are we’ll find a place that can get give us two rooms or at the very least both of us will find a place with a room…no need for us to stay in the same hotel after all, right?”

“Right.” Lucy said with a nod, “Okay…well…how about I take this side of the street and you take the other?”

Readily agreeing, Wyatt went on his way, but every hotel, inn and bed and breakfast he checked was booked solid. Making his way across the street, he found Lucy at the Wine Valley Inn and Cottages where she seemed to be having a bit more luck. As Wyatt approached her at the registration desk, the attendant smiled pleasantly at the two of them, announcing, “This must be your fiancé. You’ll be happy to know I have a private garden cottage available…quite tucked away…very romantic. It comes with its own private patio and Jacuzzi as well as a small kitchen…” 

Wyatt blanched and stepped awkwardly away from Lucy who was flushing violently, “Um…no….no we’re looking for um…separate rooms” he stammered, “we’re not…I mean…she’s not…”

“What he means is we’re…we’re not supposed to see each other before the wedding, right sweetheart?” Lucy suggested in a strained voice to a completely dumbfounded Wyatt.

Wyatt didn’t respond…instead, he just worked his jaw open and shut, apparently at a complete loss for words. 

Turning back to the clerk, she giggled nervously as she explained, “It’s tradition, you know?”

“Well I’m afraid that’s all I have.” the clerk replied with a sigh, “but perhaps you’d have better luck finding a place further downtown. These establishments here, closest to the festivities, do tend to book faster.”

Thanking the man for his assistance, Lucy gripped Wyatt’s arm leading him out of the hotel as she gritted out awkwardly, “C’mon dear…let’s go find someplace else.” Once they were out of ear shot, however, she rounded on him, “What’s the matter with you?”

“Me?” Wyatt asked her in disbelief, “Holy shit, Lucy give me a heads up next time, will ya?”

“Well, I’m sorry…I didn’t expect you to come wandering in there. He just saw my ring and assumed…and what was I supposed to do?”

“Tell him the truth.”

“Oh what? That you picked me up on the side of the road and now we’re looking for a hotel room? How does that sound, Wyatt?” 

“I see your point.” he conceded with a sigh. Rubbing a hand across his face, he muttered, “We could always get back in the Jeep and try to find another place up the road a little further.”

“Let’s just keep looking here.” Lucy said despondently, “There’s got to be one place….besides, if we do that then we have to go look for another place to get the tire fixed. Let’s just…let’s just see if we can find anything here for the night.”

After coming up empty at several more hotels, Wyatt and Lucy were just about to give up hope when reached the Mirabelle Inn. More like a Bed and Breakfast than a hotel, it was a large Tudor home with gabled roofs and balconies lining the many windows. As they entered the richly furnished lobby, they were greeted with a heavy scent of cinnamon and Wyatt couldn’t help but think that of all the places they had visited thus far, this one had brought that same European charm it had on the outside, indoors

Lucy seemed to think so too as she looked around the room, clearly admiring the antique furnishings and heavy drapery adorning the windows. Yet once again, they were disappointed. Only one room was available, but before Wyatt could protest, Lucy piped up behind him, “We’ll take it.”

Stepping in front of him, Lucy made all the arrangements and signed the paperwork as Wyatt nervously paced the lobby, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as he noticed couples tucked away in every little nook of the living area. Lucy, however, didn’t seem to notice or care that this place was more or less designed for romance as she followed the attendant up the large staircase to the floor above. “Sir,” the desk clerk addressed him, “if you and your fiancé have any bags, we would be happy to take them up for you.”

Wyatt stared back at the man like a deer caught in headlights, his eyes darting from him and the stairs where he had last seen Lucy as he stammered stupidly, “Uh…no…um…I mean, no it’s…it’s okay…I can go get them and carry them up myself.” 

Trying to quell the mounting panic in his chest, Wyatt practically ran to his Jeep, hoping that a bit of exercise in the cool autumn air might do him some good. He found, however, that no matter how far he ran, nor how fast, he couldn’t escape the one inexplicable, horrific truth that had proverbially knocked him flat on his ass - he was undeniably and hopelessly attracted to Lucy. 

He hadn’t wanted to believe he was falling for her…hell, he had just met her. However, the minute it was suggested that _he_ was her fiancé, the moment she referred to him as “sweetheart” - had him wishing to God that he was. He could see it all…them, together, happy, with a family in tow…and he didn’t understand it one bit. Apart from the fact that she was completely out of his league in terms of background, education and well - social status, she was also engaged to someone else…and he was _not_ an asshole. 

So how the hell did this happen? 

It didn’t matter, though did it? He was screwed. He went against his first instincts and fell right into a path that would only lead to heartache. What was that saying? No good deed goes unpunished? Well it served his ass right. He had played the part of gentleman too damn well and now he had to deal with the consequences. He pulled both of their bags out of the Jeep with a huff and just before he slammed down the trunk, he paused. He would never be able to stifle whatever the hell this was by lying next to Lucy in a bed…but maybe if he removed himself…slept in his Jeep…that would at least remind him that she was off limits. 

After getting the room number and an extra old-fashioned key from the clerk, Wyatt made his way up the stairs, laden with both his and Lucy’s bags. He figured he would just change his clothes, brush his teeth and be on his way. Knocking on the door, he waited until he heard Lucy’s muffled voice give the all clear to enter before fitting the key in the lock. As the door swung open, he found himself standing in a small paneled hallway leading to a well-proportioned room with a large ornate fireplace, some high back chairs tucked cheerily on either side and a large four poster canopy bed just opposite. 

It was cozy. Intimate. Romantic. Everything that Wyatt wanted avoid in regards to Lucy and as his eyes fell on a pair of matching robes hanging from fancy coat hanger near the bathroom door, it took everything he had not to drop the bags he was carrying and take off running for the hills.

He very nearly did – except that he was arrested by another sight – that of Lucy, standing in the middle of the bed, looking somewhat annoyed, “There you are.” she breathed out in frustration. “I’ve been wondering where you could have gotten to…”

“I was…um…just getting your bag.” he acknowledged, lifting up for her to see and depositing it next to the bathroom door. “Listen…I think I’m just going to…Lucy, what the hell are you doing?” he asked as he watched Lucy attempting but failing to secure a metal bar to the top of the canopy. Wyatt stepped forward in confusion, “Is…is that the shower rod?”

“Ugh…yes.” Lucy breathed out as she ran a rough hand through her hair, “I can’t get it to stay…dammit.” she gritted out. “Can you help me with this?”

“Help you with what, exactly?” Wyatt asked, clearly at a loss as to why she had pilfered the shower rod in the first place. “You do know that is not supposed to go up there, right?” Standing beside the bed now, Wyatt looked up at her, completely bewildered “Seriously, Lucy…what in the hell are you trying to do with that thing? 

“I’m trying to get this bar to run the length of the bed like this.” she demonstrated, “I’m trying to build a wall of Jericho.”

“A what, now?” Wyatt asked as he clambered on the bed to help her. 

“A wall of Jericho.” Lucy responded with a huff, stepping aside to let Wyatt take over. “You know…from _It Happened One Night?”_

“What happened one night?” Wyatt gritted out as he attempted to wedge the shower rod into the canopy box as Lucy was trying to do. 

“No…not what happened one night… _It Happened One Night_. You know…the movie? Clark Gable? Claudette Colbert?” Wyatt stared back at her blankly, “Are you telling me you have never seen _It Happened One Night?”_ Lucy gasped out in disbelief, “How is that even possible?”

Wyatt shrugged as he continued to tighten the shower rod for her, “I don’t know.” he responded, “Is it recent?”

“Is it…are you kidding? Please tell me you’re kidding?” Lucy demanded as Wyatt shrugged again. “Oh my goodness, Wyatt…it’s only one of the greatest classic films ever made.”

“Well that explains it, then.” Wyatt grunted as the bar finally snapped firmly into place, “I don’t watch anything past the last couple decades…with the exception of James Bond, of course.” He added with a smirk.

“Why am I not surprised?” Lucy said with a roll of her eyes as she gathered up a sheet and threw it over the rod, accidentally hitting Wyatt in the face. 

“Hey! Watch it!” he complained, but as he watched Lucy work to drape the sheet over the rod and down the length of the bed, his curiosity got the better of him, “Lucy…what the Hell is all of this?”

“I told you,” she said as she peeked her head out from behind the curtain of blankets, “It’s the wall of Jericho…and if you’d ever taken the time to watch _It Happened One Night_ , you’d know exactly what it was.” 

“Okay…fine…what is it?”

Jumping down to the floor, Lucy walked around to Wyatt’s side of the bed to assess her handiwork, “This is an impenetrable barrier, designed to protect us both.” she said with a smirk.

Wyatt pushed his hand through the sheets, showing her how very non-impenetrable it actually was, “Um…Lucy…”

“It’s metaphorical, Wyatt.” Lucy sighed, “It’s just a privacy screen so that we can both share this bed without…you know...things being awkward.”

Wyatt offered her a sheepish grin, but shook his head in the negative, “Look…Lucy, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but…I think it’s just best for me to sleep in the Jeep tonight. I mean, like you said earlier…you’re engaged…and sharing a room with a guy who picked you up on the side of the road...”

“Oh so you’re just trying to protect my reputation, is that it?” Lucy challenged. “Wyatt, you are not sleeping in your car.”

“Lucy, I’ve slept outside before…”

“Well if you sleep out there, then so am I.” she insisted. “It’s not fair for you to go through all of this because you were kind enough to stop and help me. Look,” she grabbed his hand and led him over to the bed, admonishing him with a glare until he reluctantly took a seat on the bed. “Stay there.” she ordered before running to the other side of the bed “See,” she called out from behind the curtain, “it’s like two separate beds…and if you don’t think about it too much, it could very well be two separate rooms.”

“Divided by a very thin wall.” Wyatt reminded her. “Lucy…are you sure you want to do this?” he asked in concern, “We…I mean, we hardly know each other.”

“What’s the matter, Wyatt?” Lucy asked as she peeked at him from behind the curtain with a smirk, “Don’t you trust me?”

“Don’t take this personally, ma’am…” Wyatt teased, “but I don’t sleep with anyone I only just met. I’m not really that kind of guy.”

Lucy rolled her eyes, “I thought you were in the military? Didn’t you have to sleep with like thirty other guys during basic training?”

“Yeah, but that was different.”

“How?”

“Well for one, we weren’t sharing beds…and something tells me you are a cover hog.” he said as he glanced at his one pillow as opposed to Lucy’s three. 

“I promise I won’t steal the covers.” Lucy insisted. “And here,” she added as she crossed the room and handed him a chenille throw, “as a show of good faith, you can have this all to yourself.”

Wyatt frowned as he looked at the throw in his hands. “No…really, Lucy….I think it’s best if I just …”

“Wyatt, do you trust me?” Lucy sighed in exasperation. 

“Lucy….this isn’t about trust…it’s the principle of the thing…”

“What principle?”

“The fact that you should not be sleeping in a hotel with me when you’re engaged…I mean, granted I don’t know the guy, but I’m pretty damn sure your fiancé would be on my side in this argument.”

“So…what you’re saying is that I can’t trust _you_ ….”

“What?” Wyatt asked sharply, “No…I…mean, yes, you can trust me…I just…”

“I don’t see what the difference is between sitting next to me in a car for six hours and sleeping next to me in a bed behind a curtain.” Lucy reasoned. “We tried to get separate rooms, it didn’t work and so now,” she gestured to the wall of Jericho, “we’ve done the next best thing. You know, in colonial times they would actually use bundling bags when a man and woman who weren’t married slept in the same room together. It was common practice, especially when people traveled and were forced to share beds.”

“Like us?”

“Exactly.” Lucy said with a nod, “So unless you’d like me to sew you into a sheet, I’d say this,” she added as she batted at the curtain, “is an acceptable alternative. But I’ll leave it up to you…though you should know - I don’t know the first thing about sewing.”

Raking a rough hand over his face, Wyatt considered his alternatives. He could and should sleep out in his Jeep…but Lucy threatened to follow him out there…and there was less room out there than there was in here…so if anything, it would only make the proximity thing that much worse. He could sleep on the floor, but he figured Lucy would probably take issue with that as well. He sighed as he looked at the sheet hanging between the bed, essentially blocking her from view, and relented, “Fine…but if you snore, I’m sleeping in my damn Jeep…alone.”

“Fair enough.” Lucy chirped as she scooped up her bag from the floor and headed into the bathroom, snapping the door shut behind her.

Shit. 

Wyatt sat on the edge of the bed staring at the bathroom door Lucy had just disappeared behind, a cold sweat already forming on his brow. How the hell was he going to get any sleep tonight, lying next to her…knowing as he did, that he would give just about anything to be the lucky sonofabitch who was actually her fiancé? She dismissed the idea of this being at all inappropriate…but would she feel the same way if she knew that Wyatt was secretly wishing her engagement to the Porsche-driving jackass was null and void?

That wasn’t really fair. Wyatt didn’t know the guy…and if Lucy had agreed to marry him, he was probably not a jackass. Still, Wyatt couldn’t help but feel a little twinge of jealousy at the thought of someone else putting a smile on Lucy’s face, someone else being on the receiving end of her hugs…and teases…and oh hell, he was in a lot of trouble here. 

As the bathroom door swung open, Wyatt startled abruptly, practically leaping off the bed as if he were burned. There Lucy stood, fresh-faced and pajama-clad, looking suddenly self-conscious as she gave Wyatt a wide-berth on her way to her side of the bed. “I um…left a clean washcloth on the sink for you.” she stammered from behind the curtain.

“Um…thanks.” Wyatt grunted as he scooped up his own bag and headed to the bathroom. The minute he closed the door behind him, he let out a heavy sigh of relief only to find that things were that much worse in there. The air was heavy with the sweet scent of whatever the hell Lucy’s beauty regimen consisted of, scattered all over the sink were her personal things and if that weren’t enough to set his pulse racing, the sight of her bra hanging on the hook behind the door just about did him in.

As quickly as he could, he changed into his sweats and brushed his teeth, taking care to keep his eyes focused towards the floor so he wouldn’t see the flush in his own face or inexplicably stumble upon anything else of Lucy’s that he should _not_ be seeing.

Practically closing his eyes as he approached the door, Wyatt wrenched it open to find the room beyond darkened save for the soft glow of light emanating from Lucy’s side of the bed. Wordlessly, he slipped underneath the covers, realizing too late that there was nothing separating them under the sheets as his leg brushed against Lucy’s. “Oh…I’m…I’m sorry” he grunted as he moved further away. 

He heard her let out a shaky sigh followed by the clunk of her cellphone as she set it down on the nightstand. “Goodnight Wyatt.” she yawned as she shifted under the covers, “Pleasant dreams.”

“Goodnight Lucy.” he muttered back quietly, his heart nearly aching out of his chest when he realized that tomorrow she would gone...out of his life forever…back with the fiancé she loved. He should have been relieved that whatever attraction this was would come to a quick and speedy end the minute he safely deposited where she belonged…but as he turned away from the “wall of Jericho” he realized it wouldn’t be that easy. He had only known her for a few hours and yet, here he was…not knowing how in the world he would ever be the same after knowing Lucy Preston. 


	4. Chapter 4

Wyatt’s sleep had been anything but restful.

So aware was he of every move Lucy made, every sound she uttered, that before he finally succumbed to sleep, he had made sure to position himself as far away from Lucy as humanly possible, not trusting the pathetic barrier erected between them to keep things from being awkward. But as he blinked his eyes open in the dim morning light, he noted, with more than a little touch of anxiety, that he was much closer to the “wall” than he had been that previous evening…and so too, was Lucy. 

Though their feeble wall was still doing its duty by way of shielding the other from view, it had done very little in the way of preventing them from touching each other through the course of the evening…which obviously, they had - given that his arm was completely wrapped around hers.

Not that it had been done consciously, of course.

He was lying on his side with Lucy’s arm sandwiched gently between the two of his, her hand almost resting within the palm of his own. He chose to ignore the feeling that elicited from him and instead slowly and carefully worked to extricate his right arm from underneath hers. He had just managed to ease himself away and roll towards the edge of the bed when Lucy’s sleepy voice sounded from behind the thin curtain, “Mmmm…Good morning, Wyatt.”

“Uh…morning…um…ma’am.” he responded awkwardly, desperately hoping to get the hell out of Dodge before the vision of Lucy, ruffled and mussed, contributed anything more to his already gutter-bound imagination.

The universe, however, seemed bound and determined to torture him. No sooner had he clambered out of the bed, then he turned to see Lucy’s silhouette…stretching and arching…and oh hell, he needed out of this room.

“I’m um…I’m going to go get the tire fixed.” he stammered out nervously as he backed his way into the bathroom, “and then…we can…ya know…be on our way again.

He had almost closed the door when Lucy threw back the curtain, sitting up in bed, yawning and rubbing her eyes...and yup, she looked about as adorable as he imagined she would. “Don’t forget - you promised me breakfast.” she reminded him with a sigh as she stretched again. 

Wyatt gaped at her slightly, feeling his mouth go a bit dry at the sight before he rubbed a hand across his face and muttered, “Yeah…yeah…whatever you want.”

Quickly closing the door to the bathroom, Wyatt splashed some water on his face in a desperate attempt to come back to his senses. Lucy was engaged, dammit and there was not even a snowball’s chance in hell that he was going to fool around with some other man’s fiancé.

He was just going to have to get a grip on himself.

Resolved to do just that, Wyatt freshened up, changed into his clothes and skirted out of the bathroom, taking care to avoid looking at the bra that had surprised him the night before. When he opened the door back to the bedroom, however, that resolve was tested as standing before him in a plush robe, her hair up in a ponytail and her arms laden with toiletries was Lucy Preston.

“You didn’t use up all the hot water, did you?” she asked with a teasing smile. “I’m not really a fan of cold showers.”

Almost immediately, his gutter-bound brain conjured up the image of Lucy standing in a spray of steaming hot water…and well, he couldn’t readily agree that cold showers were such a horrible thing.

He sure as hell could use one right about now.

“Wyatt?” Lucy chuckled as he stood there, stupidly, blocking the entrance to the bathroom “Are you okay? You’re kind of…in my way.”

“Huh?” he startled, “Oh…right…sorry.” he mumbled, quickly moving away from the door to let her pass.

She brushed by him with a concerned frown, “Didn’t you sleep okay?” She ribbed, “I’m guessing I didn’t snore since you didn’t sleep in your Jeep last night.”

“No….no I slept…I slept okay.” Wyatt assured her. “I just…uh....zoned out there for a minute….I’ll be okay…once I get some coffee.”

“Oh coffee sounds great.” Lucy groaned, “I’m so tired…"

“Didn’t you…uh…didn’t you sleep well last night?” Wyatt asked anxiously.

“No…that’s just it.” Lucy shrugged, “I fell right to sleep…it must have been all the excitement from yesterday, it’s just catching up with me today.”

“Yeah.” Wyatt chuckled awkwardly, “Okay…well…you um…do whatever it is you need to do and I’ll um…text you when the tire is fixed.”

“And then we’ll have breakfast.” Lucy reminded him. “Ooo I know, let’s meet at that little place we passed by last night…you know, the one by the windmill?”

“Uh…sure, sure thing.” Wyatt muttered back, making a beeline for the door. 

About two hours later, Wyatt wandered into the small little diner Lucy had requested quickly finding her seated at a small table twirling her coffee with a spoon and reading a brochure. Taking a deep breath, he made his way over to her, noting how much more relaxed and happy she seemed the minute he took his seat across from her.

“All fixed?” she asked as he began perusing the menu.

“Yup.” Wyatt said with a nod, determined not to look up at her, lest any of his earlier thoughts betray him. “Good as new.” He chanced a glance at the heaping plate of waffles in front of her, “Already started, I see.” he noted with some amusement.

“Sorry, I was starving.” she said with a shrug, “Wasn’t sure how long you’d be.” At Wyatt’s continued grin, she narrowed her eyes, “What?”

“Nothing.” he said with a shrug, “I just wasn’t expecting to see you downing a stack of waffles…I would’ve guessed you’d have settled for an egg white omelet with a side of grapefruit.”

“In a place like this?” Lucy gasped, feigning offense as she snatched the menu out of Wyatt’s hands, “Why on Earth would any one settle for something healthy when you’ve got waffles like Red Velvet, Chocolate Chip…oooo Strawberries and Cream…I didn’t see that one.” she mused with a frown, handing the menu back to him. “When in Rome, Wyatt.”

“If you say so, ma’am.” he sighed, nodding at the waitress for his order as Lucy’s phone began to buzz. 

“Sorry,” she frowned, sliding out of the booth, “I gotta take this.” 

Wyatt watched her quickly make her way out of the café, ear to her phone, as an elderly waitress came to take his order. “She’s a keeper.” the old woman remarked sweetly after jotting down Wyatt’s request, “You two make an adorable couple.”

“Oh well…” Wyatt stammered, coloring, “she’s not…I mean…we’re not…um…” but upon seeing Lucy walk back into the restaurant, he quickly cleared his throat and handed over the menu with a muttered, “Thanks.”

“Sorry about that.” Lucy breathed out as she slid back into the booth, “it was my mother.”

Feeling inappropriately relieved that it was not the fiancé, Wyatt shifted slightly in his chair as the waitress handed him a steaming mug of coffee. “Oh really?” he asked, trying to act nonchalant, “What did she want? To make sure you were still alive after spending the night with a guy you just met on the side of the road?” he teased.

“No.” Lucy said with a grin, “you'lI be pleased to know that I already texted her this morning to assure her that I was still alive and well.” She took a sip of her coffee, before smacking her lips and adding, "How's that for being safety conscious?"

Wyatt chuckled into his mug, "Anybody could send a text, Lucy....no wonder she called. If you were my daughter and I knew you were spending the night with some stranger in a hotel room, you better believe I’d want video proof you were okay….course, if you were my daughter there'd be no way in hell I'd ever let you spend the night with some stranger in a hotel room.”

Lucy pursed her lips together, “Yes, well...I might have forgotten to tell her that we shared a room last night." she admitted, "but what's that saying? What she doesn’t know won’t kill her? Besides," Lucy added with a shrug, "there was nothing to worry about any way, right?” 

Wyatt shook his head at her seriously, “Right…but your mother didn’t know that.” He took a swig of his coffee and set down his mug, “And really, you didn’t know that either…I could have been a damn murdering psychopath, Lucy…but yet you made me stay in your hotel room…not knowing a thing about me.”

“That’s not true.” Lucy replied with a frown. “I know you’re a soldier with Delta Force….”

“Could have been a lie.” Wyatt countered. “What else?”

“I know you had a Grandpa Sherwin who fought in World War II with the 101st and that he died before you got into Delta Force.”

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t….I could have fed you all of that to win your trust, make you feel sorry for me and then…bam…you’re jumping in my car and asking me to stay in your hotel room.” Wyatt shook his head, “All kidding aside, Lucy…that’s…that’s a hell of a lot of faith you put into me…I mean, don’t they teach you not to go off with strange men in that school of yours?”

Lucy sat back in exasperation, “You’re right…you could have been lying to me this whole time, you could have been a complete and total psychopath who might have murdered me in my sleep or left me for dead on the side of the road somewhere…but you didn’t.” She said with a determined nod as she took a sip of her own coffee, “And you wouldn’t.”

“How do you know?”

Lucy set down her mug and studied him for a moment, before shrugging with a grin, “I don’t know…I just know.” she said quietly. “Besides, would a psychopath have taught me how to change a tire just so I would feel safer and more confident out on the road? Or taken me to Solvang just because I said I had always wanted to go?” Wyatt raised his eyebrows as he took a sip of his own coffee, “I didn’t think so.” Lucy stated with a matter of fact smile as the waitress set down a heaping plate of waffles, whipped cream and fruit before him. 

“You got strawberries and cream?” Lucy gasped in disbelief as Wyatt winked at her, “I would have pegged you for a plain old maple syrup type.”

“When in Rome.” Wyatt sing-songed back to her with a shrug, groaning as he savored the first bite, “Damn, if that’s not the best thing I ever…hey! Eat your own!” Wyatt chided, trying to defend his plate of waffles with his fork. “you got a whole stack of…what the hell is that anyway?”

“Apple cinnamon” Lucy replied with a mouthful of Wyatt’s waffle, “It’s not as good as yours though.”

“Yeah, well…tough.” Wyatt replied inching his plate away from her. “You were in such a rush to eat, couldn’t wait…now you just have to live with your own poor choices. I mean it, Lucy,” he warned, shooting her a meaningful glare as she readied her fork once more, “stay the hell away from my waffles.”

“I take it back…” she said with a sigh as she begrudgingly moved her own plate of apple cinnamon waffles towards her, “maybe you aren’t such a nice guy, after all.”

“Maybe I’m not.” Wyatt shrugged as he loaded up his fork with more waffles and strawberries, “but let this be a lesson to you. Never trust a guy you just met on the side of the road…especially when it comes to his breakfast.”

After a few more bites however, Wyatt’s insistence that she “eat her own damn breakfast” became less of a demand and more of a suggestion as little by little more and more of his strawberries and cream waffles found their way onto Lucy’s fork, while her own apple cinnamon waffles somehow wound up in front of him.

Once finished, they made their way back to his Jeep, both of them almost sorry to leave Solvang behind as the day’s festivities were already in full-swing. “I’m going to have to come back here sometime and stay the whole weekend for Danish Days.” Lucy voiced as she slid into the passenger seat. “Last night was a lot of fun.”

“Yeah, it was.” Wyatt agreed, shutting the door behind her. But the moment he crossed over to his own side of the Jeep, he was hit with a sudden sadness, realizing that when and if Lucy did come back to Solvang, it wouldn’t be with him…it would most likely be with her fiancé. Desperate to shake off any such feelings where Lucy was concerned, Wyatt slid behind the wheel without so much as another word as he jammed his keys in the ignition, feeling that the sooner they got this last part of the trip over with, the better.

They didn’t say much to each other as they drove along, other than an occasional comment about the scenery, the traffic or other drivers, but when they got about an hour from Solvang, Lucy turned to Wyatt with a hopeful smile playing on her lips, “Do you want to see the world’s first motel?.” she asked.

Wyatt raised his eyebrows, “Are you being serious or is that some kind of pick up line you history professors use?” He quirked his lip, “Because if it’s a pick-up line, I got to tell ya...it needs work, ma’am.”

“Ha. Ha.” Lucy deadpanned, “Very funny, Wyatt. I’m being totally serious...it’s right up here in San Luis Obispo.” she assured him with a nod.

Wyatt snorted out a laugh, “The first motel in the entire world is in San Luis Obispo? You really expect me to believe that?” He looked at her doubtfully, “Not Chicago? Not Los Angeles? But San Luis Obispo?”

“I know...it seems like the craziest thing,” Lucy agreed, “but it’s absolutely true...and if you take this exit right now, you can see for yourself.”

Hardly able to deny her anything...and finding himself mildly curious, he did as she requested, following her directions until they found themselves driving down a dilapidated street where a tall chain link fence closed off the rest of the road, prohibiting access to the old Spanish mission style building on the other side. Confused, Wyatt slowed to a stop and put his Jeep in park, remarking glibly, “Let me guess, this is where you and your rag tag gang of history nerds jump me and leave me for dead?”

“Mmmhmm, you wish.” Lucy teased. “C’mon...let me give you a history lesson.” She exclaimed excitedly as she jumped out of the Jeep. Sighing, Wyatt turned off the engine and followed her to the fence where, he noted with a smile, Lucy was eagerly taking pictures and motioning him over to her. Isn’t it incredible?”

Wyatt scanned his surroundings, finding very little to be impressed by. The overgrowth of weeds and tall grass along the edge of the sidewalk, the dusty white old building that stood before them..."incredible" wasn't exactly the word he would have picked to describe this place. “What?” he finally asked with a shrug, “Looks like an old church...I don’t see anything that...”

“Right there, on the wall, Wyatt.” Lucy explained as she pointed to a bronze placard.”

Wyatt leaned forward, narrowing his eyes as he read the sign bolted to the side of the building, “Milestone Motel In, December 12, 1925” he frowned thoughtfully as he surveyed the building, “So this is your world's first hotel, huh? Kinda small...”

Lucy threw back her head in exasperation, “There were other buildings, you know...bungalows,” she explained, “but they’ve torn them down since it closed in 1991. It was meant to be the first of a whole chain of hotels reaching from here, all the way up the coast to Washington State…but the owner was never able to register “Motel” as a trademark…and then the Great Depression hit…and well, between the competition that ensued and the lack of funds…”

Wyatt quirked his lip, “Timing is everything, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Lucy conceded, “but he had the right idea, didn’t he?”

Wyatt shrugged, “I guess…but why San Luis Obispo? You’d think he would have started this off in a bigger city.”

“Well…that’s part of the brilliance of it.” she explained. “Back in the 1920s, the roads were horrible. That combined with the speed capability of most cars, it made road trips rather long and uncomfortable. To travel between Los Angeles and San Francisco then? It took about two days.”

“Still does.” Wyatt quipped with a teasing smirk.

“Since San Luis Obispo,” Lucy continued with an eye roll, choosing to ignore his last comment, “is the halfway point, between Los Angeles and San Francisco, it just made logical sense to put the first of, what was intended to be a whole chain of hotels, here.”

“That does make sense.” Wyatt acknowledged with a nod, but once again, he felt that strange pang of regret, tugging at his heartstrings. They were halfway to San Francisco...and that would be the end...of all of this. As much as he enjoyed these little detours with Lucy, he knew that they were just delaying the inevitable. She had her life, her fiancé to get back to...and he...well, he had a whole week to enjoy the city by the Bay...alone. “You...um...you ready?” Wyatt asked tentatively, halfway hoping she would say, “no.”

“I guess so.” Lucy said, to his utmost disappointment. She walked away with a sigh, turning once she reached the Jeep to look at the white adobe building, “I know it’s silly, but I just...I just love to imagine what these places must have been like in their hey-day, you know?” She laughed at herself as she clambered back into the passenger seat, “I guess that’s not something you ever do...think about how things could be in a different lifetime?”

”I wouldn’t say that,” Wyatt said quietly, as he shut the door behind her. He hated to admit it, but he couldn’t help but think on the what if’s as he made his way to the driver’s side of his Jeep. Before he opened his car door, Wyatt quickly pulled out his phone and took a picture of the Spanish style building before clambering in behind the wheel. 

“I thought you didn’t think it was incredible?” Lucy teased as he started the Jeep.

“Huh?” he asked blankly, “oh, you mean the photo?” He cleared his throat awkwardly, coloring slightly, as he shifted gears and explained, “Well, I figured I better have some kind of photographic evidence to prove that I actually got to see the very first motel ever built...who would believe me otherwise?” he teased.

Rolling her eyes good-naturedly, Lucy let out a small chuckle before turning to him with a smile, “Thank you, Wyatt.” she said softly.

Wyatt paused, his eyes narrowed in confusion, “For what?” he asked.

"For being a good sport...and for humoring me...again.” she said explained. “You didn’t have to stop here, you know.”

”Oh no...it was my pleasure, ma’am.” he replied as he eased back on to Highway 101, “I should really be thanking you....most people just drive on a highway completely unaware of all the stuff around them. Me? I’ve got my own personal tour guide.”

Satisfied with his answer, Lucy sat back in her seat, smiling to herself before startling forward suddenly, “Wait…where are you going?” she asked him in alarm.

“To San Francisco.” Wyatt replied incredulously, pulling off to the side of the road, “Why? Did you forget something...or was there another Danish town you wanted to see?”

Lucy rolled her eyes at him and pulled up her map, “San Luis Obispo is where 101 splits into Highway 101 and Route 1. If you take Highway 101, you’re going to miss all the scenic ocean views. I thought that was the whole reason you took the Pacific Coast Highway?”

“Well, it was…but Lucy, I thought you needed to be in San Francisco by tonight? If we take the scenic route,” he sighed, “that’s gonna put us there later isn’t it?

“It’s only about another hour longer.” Lucy assured, “but the views are so worth it, Wyatt. When I drove down to San Diego…it...it was just beautiful. I’d hate for you to miss out on seeing it just because of me. Besides,” she said with a smirk, “if we follow Route 1, we can go see Hearst Castle.”

Wyatt sighed in exasperation and turned to face her, “So you do want to go see something else?” he asked, though a smirk was pulling at his lips, "Why didn't you just say so?" She shrugged indifferently as Wyatt rubbed a hand across his face, “I thought you were on a deadline?”

“I was.”

“But you aren’t anymore?” Wyatt asked, completely confused.

“Well, that phone call I got from my mother this morning?” Lucy reminded him, “It was to tell me that there was a problem with...ugh...the venue or the caterer…I really don’t remember which…but the point is, _I_ didn’t cancel this time.” she said with a relieved laugh.

Wyatt stared back at her blankly, completely confused, "You didn't cancel what?"

"It's not important." Lucy dismissed with a wave of her hand, “it's just that...I have had to cancel this event twice already and now the whole thing has been rescheduled for later this week....and it had nothing to do with me.” she added almost gleefully. She looked at Wyatt expectantly, but he just continued to stare back at her blankly. "Don't you see? It's almost like fate. It's like the universe knew I just needed..." Lucy trailed off, looking out of the window, suddenly seeming oblivious to Wyatt's presence. 

"Uh…needed...what?" Wyatt asked, after a long pause, hoping that she would clue him in. 

She turned slowly back to look at him, looking almost embarrassed as she replied softly, "Time." I um…just...I wasn't ready to leave San Diego." she admitted, almost ruefully, "When they offered me that position...I was so tempted to take it, but...I had to be back home for....for _this_..." she trailed off, rubbing circles on her temples, looking every bit as stressed and anxious as she had the moment Wyatt had first laid eyes on her. Concerned, he reached out to ask her if she was okay, but in that moment, she dropped her hands and sighed, "but now...I don't have to worry about anything for the next few days...and since I’ve already ruined the start of your vacation,” she reasoned, “I don’t think it’s fair of me to ask you to forego the plans you had to drive along the coast just to get me home faster…I really don’t mind. Really.” 

“Hey, you haven’t ruined anything.” Wyatt assured her, “But Lucy, I really don't care one way or the other...if you need to get home..."

"I don't." she promised. "There's no rush...not now."

"Are you sure? Because once we head down this road,” he informed her as he pointed to the map, “there’s no getting back to 101 until we hit Monterey…and that’s what? Three hours away?”

“I’m sure.” Lucy said with a determined nod. “The views are beautiful Wyatt and you should see them…especially since it was the whole reason you came this way. I’ll even treat you to the tour of Hearst Castle…I mean, if you want to go, that is." 

Wyatt pursed his lips together in thought. As much as part of him wanted to abandon on pretense and spend as much time as humanly possible with Lucy on this whirlwind adventure they were having, he knew that she, as another man’s fiancé, was essentially off-limits. He was not an asshole. He didn’t do this…he couldn’t do this. He needed to take her home, nip whatever this was in the bud before he found himself head over heels for someone he could never have. “Lucy…” he began weakly, but she, as if reading his mind, was already ready with a counter argument.

“Look, I know you must think this is really strange of me…I mean, you’re right…I hardly know you.” she admitted, “But, I didn’t get to fully enjoy the trip down to San Diego because I was so worried about getting there safely…and I just think that now…now we both have the chance to enjoy ourselves…see all of this for, really the first time...so, why don’t we?”

Wyatt could argue the ring on her finger was as good an excuse as any to not, but he couldn’t deny that this was the whole reason he had chosen this way; to see those famous ocean views, unwind, and see more of California than just that of the dusty old base at Pendleton. He also couldn't deny that spending a little but more time with Lucy was an attractive bonus. Sighing heavily in defeat, Wyatt switched gears and turned his Jeep down the next road, “Fine…what the hell?” he said, adding with a smirk, “but if I get an ass chewing from your mother for bringing you home after curfew, I’m totally throwing you under the bus.”

“Fair enough.” Lucy replied as she settled happily in the seat beside him. 

“So…” Wyatt began as they turned onto Route 1, “What’s this Hearst Castle place all about?”

“Are you kidding?” Lucy asked, her jaw dropping down in shock, “Please, tell me you’re joking.”

Wyatt shook his head, “Not joking…is it like an actual castle or…”

Lucy let out an incredulous laugh and shook her head, “You know who William Randolph Hearst is, right? Citizen Kane?”

“What’s that?” Wyatt asked blankly. 

“You’ve never seen _Citizen Kane_? Oh no, well of course you haven’t,” Lucy amended, “I forgot, you don’t like to watch the classics.” Sighing heavily, Lucy straightened up in her seat, “William Randolph Hearst was a newspaper tycoon during the late 1800s, early 1900s. He was deep into Yellow Journalism…basically propaganda to push an issue…which resulted in the United States getting involved in the Spanish-American War in 1898.” 

“Wait a minute…” Wyatt mused, “is…is that the same guy who is in _Newsies?_ ” 

_“Newsies,_ Wyatt? You don’t know _Citizen Kane_ but you know _Newsies?_ ”

He shrugged, “What can I say? I’m a Christian Bale fan.”

“Yes…well anyway” Lucy said with a wide grin, “Joseph Pulitzer is in _Newsies_ but he and William Randolph Hearst had competing papers in New York.” He nodded in acknowledgement as she continued, “He made millions…was one of the richest men in the world. Served in the House of Representatives, had friends all over…wielded a tremendous amount of influence.”

‘So, he built himself up like some sort of King…complete with a castle?” Wyatt suggested with a shrug.

Lucy frowned and nodded, “Pretty much. His family used to go camping in San Simeon…they owned thousands of acres of land and in 1919, Hearst called upon Julia Morgan…the first independent female architect in the American history, by the way…to help him build “a little something comfortable on the top of the hill.” Lucy quipped with a sardonic grin, “You know she worked on it from 1919 to 1947…and it still isn’t finished.”

Wyatt scoffed, “So, this place isn’t even completed?”

“No…not to his original vision” Lucy said with a sigh, “But it’s massive…and he really spared no expense. You know the Neptune Pool was rebuilt three different times to meet his expectations?”

“His or his wife’s?” Wyatt teased. 

“Oh, definitely his.” Lucy returned. “His wife was very rarely at the Ranch, as they called it…because Hearst was always there with his mistress, Marion Davies.” she added matter-of-factly.

“Wait.” Wyatt stopped her, “You mean he kept his wife from coming because of his mistress or his wife didn’t come because she knew about the mistress?”

“She knew about the mistress.” Lucy responded as Wyatt gave out a low whistle, “I know. Millicent Hearst was an incredible woman too. Not only did she raise their five sons, essentially one her own, she was also a great philanthropist. She founded a Free Milk Fund for Babies which provided much needed milk to the poor of New York City, worked side by side with Eleanor Roosevelt…she was…just amazing.”

“But…she stayed married to him?”

“Well, yes.” Lucy explained, “Divorce was…well, it was not exactly encouraged in those days. So in 1925 she just went off to live in New York and her husband and his mistress stayed here, in California…at his party palace until he died in 1951.”

“This guy sounds like an asshole.” Wyatt muttered as they turned into the Visitor’s Center.

“Well, you wouldn’t be the first to think so,” Lucy remarked with a quirked eyebrow, “ _Citizen Kane_ isn’t exactly a glowing representation of his character. In fact, he tried to use his influence to keep the film from ever being released, but in the end, he only managed to limit its release to certain theatres.” She chuckled, “Despite all of that, it’s still considered one of the best films ever made.”

“Oh yeah?” Wyatt mused, “Maybe I’ll give it a try…just to spite the sonofabitch.”

Lucy looked back at him in surprise, “Wow, Wyatt…I didn’t realize you cared so much about history.” she teased.

“I don’t.” Wyatt sassed back, playfully as he parked the Jeep, “But what kind of asshole cheats on his wife for 26 years?”

“34 years.” Lucy corrected, “He started seeing Marion Davies in 1917.”

“Jesus.” Wyatt spat out in disgust as he eased himself out of the Jeep. “And you actually want to see this guy’s house?”

“Well, this was _William Randolph Hearst_ , Wyatt. Hearst Castle was a showplace for his wealth and power…it’s more like a museum now than anything. You know he imported actual ceilings and fireplaces out of monasteries and castles from all over Europe?” 

Wyatt glared at her as she ushered him into the Visitor’s Center, “Come on, I’m buying…just…just come along for the view at least.” she said as she pointed towards the ocean. “When you get up the castle,” she assured it really is breathtaking.”

After purchasing their tour tickets, Wyatt and Lucy boarded the tour bus that took them the rest of the way up the windy, dusty road to Hearst Castle. As they rattled along the road, Lucy was quick to point out a large cement edifice carved into the landscape, “There’s one of his animal enclosures…he had a zoo here, too. In fact, if you’re lucky, you might see some of his zebra still roaming around the grounds.” 

“Really?” Wyatt mused thoughtfully, but said nothing more. He was already feeling like this detour might have been a bit of a mistake. There was no denying that he liked Lucy…more than he probably should. She was in a committed relationship, after all. Engaged….and yet here they were, about to go visit the house of a man who didn’t give a rat’s ass about commitment. And why? So, the two of them could carve out a little extra time on the road…together. 

He should have said no. They were practically strangers, for goodness sakes. Fated to go their separate ways, never to see each other again in just a few short hours…

So why the hell did it feel like this was something more?

“You’re awfully quiet.” Lucy prompted as she nudged him lightly on the arm, “Are you okay?”

Wyatt pursed his lips and nodded, keeping his attention directed out of the window, doing his damndest to keep her at an arm’s distance from here on out. 

When they reached the top of the hill and disembarked, however, Wyatt took one look at the castle and scoffed, “You have got to be kidding me.” He turned to Lucy in disbelief, “His party palace looks like a damn church.”

“Yes, the bell towers there were inspired by the Church of Santa Maria la Mayor in Spain, I believe.” Lucy replied as she searched through the brochure checking her facts, “yes, a 17th century church. But that’s nothing, inside are actual treasures, tapestries, art works…choir seats even from Gothic and Medieval churches.”

“The guy had no shame, whatsoever, did he?”

“No.” Lucy replied with a smile, “None, whatsoever. He introduced Marion to all of his guests, openly. They all knew, of course. In fact, when Winston Churchill came to visit, he commented that William Randolph Hearst at two lovely _wives_.” 

“Well, I guess you’ve got to give him props for not lying and sneaking around about it.” Wyatt admitted with another scoff. 

As they made their way through the grand front entrance, they found themselves in the Assembly Room, something that looked straight out of some Renaissance palace. Tapestries hung on the stony walls, enormous fireplaces lined the room and every inch of the place seemed to hold some priceless artifact from the Middle Ages, which was why, when the tour guide informed them that guests used to toss footballs down the length of the room, Wyatt shook his head in disbelief. “How could you ever relax in a place like this?” he asked Lucy quietly as they made their way to the next room, “Hell, even those couches are probably French antiques worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. I’d be afraid to sit on the damn things.”

“Shhhh.” Lucy hushed him with a giggle, as they made their way into the Refectory where a long table was set for the many guests that William Randolph Hearst typically entertained on an almost daily basis. As the tour guide droned on about the walls being lined with choir stalls from an old Medieval church, a how real silk banners hung from the ceiling, Wyatt’s eyes were drawn to the ketchup and mustard bottles sitting out on the table. Paper napkins, too, were sitting next to opulent silver candlesticks and dishes prompting Wyatt to nudge Lucy to point it out. 

“Did you have a question sir?”

All eyes turned to Wyatt who shifted uncomfortably, before shrugging and responding, “Yeah, what’s with the condiments? You guys having a barbecue in here later or something?”

The tour guide laughed good-naturedly and shook his head, “No, Mr. Hearst insisted on keeping things informal while at the Ranch. It was only when Mrs. Hearst arrived for a rare visit that the linen was brought out.”

Wyatt rolled his eyes and looked at Lucy who was stifling another laugh, “Did you hear that?” he whispered to her as they made their way into the next room, “He liked to keep things informal…while sitting in a room that cost $900,000 to build.” 

As the house tour wound to a close, they were given the freedom to walk about the grounds and given instructions on where to find the two pools to complete their tour. “ _Two_ pools?” Wyatt muttered unimpressed, “Who the hell needs two pools? Seriously, how much longer do we have on before we are finished with this ego trip?”

“Follow me.” Lucy urged playfully, tugging him on the arm until he stumbled after her onto the side terrace which offered a stunning panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean and the winding stretch of Route 1 before them. “This…this is why I wanted you to come here.”

“Wow.” Wyatt breathed out as he took in the scenery, “Now this is an ocean view.”

“Isn’t it?” Lucy agreed with a nod, “William Randolph Hearst may not be the most upstanding man that ever lived…but you can’t deny that he had good taste. He could have built a palace anywhere in the world…but he built it here…where his family used to camp…out in the literal middle of nowhere…and this…” she nodded as she gestured to the exquisite view, “this is why.”

“He’s still an asshole.” Wyatt muttered, teasingly as Lucy giggled beside him. “C’mon.” he sighed heavily, “let’s go see that pool he rebuilt three times””

They made their way down the sloping gardens to the lavish Neptune Pool with its Grecian architecture. It was certainly picturesque and very large…so large that Wyatt didn’t understand why the hell he needed to build a second pool. “I mean, it’s not like that wouldn’t fit everybody” he argued as Lucy led him towards the back of the house, “The guy was a show off who just liked to spend money.” 

“Mmm…I think you’re absolutely right.” Lucy agreed with a giggle, “But you know what they say…you can’t take it with you…”

“So why not build two pools?” Wyatt huffed out beside her sarcastically. 

“Exactly.”

“Meanwhile his wife is in New York…actually helping people.” he grumbled as they stepped inside the opulent annex holding the lesser known of the two pools. While the Neptune Pool was gorgeous in its own right, this pool was downright opulent…looking more like a palace than a pool house. Blue and gold leaf tiles covered every inch of the place, with art deco lamps surrounding the pool edge as well as marble statues…and in the center, the most luxurious diving platform anyone had ever seen. “Holy shit.” Wyatt breathed out as he looked around the room, “This is a _pool_?”

Shushing him again, Lucy led Wyatt forward along the pool’s edge as other guests filed in behind them. The nearby docent was answering questions and explaining how the pool was actually part of a complex of tennis courts, a gym, and a sauna and modeled off the 5th century Mausoleum in Ravenna, Italy. 

“Of course, it was.” Wyatt grumbled as Lucy elbowed him in the ribs.

As the docent concluded her discussion of the pool’s features and fielded the group for any questions they might have, Lucy’s phone began to ring in her bag, causing the sound to echo loudly throughout the space, “Dammit,” she muttered as she fished through her purse in a frantic attempt to silence it. 

That, however, was easier said than done.

Already uncomfortable for making quite the scene, Lucy’s fingers fumbled over everything in her bag…everything except her phone. “Lucy...” Wyatt muttered out of the side of his mouth as more and more people cast her dirty glances. 

“I’m trying.” she breathed out, until finally, deciding it would be best to remove herself from the situation altogether, she attempted to make her way back to the exit. As she shakily moved her way through the crowd assembled all around the pool’s edge, desperate to get out of this awkward situation, she tripped on a cane being used by a fellow guest and tumbled over sideways. 

Wyatt, seeing the immediate danger, dove forward to catch her, but it was too late. No sooner had he gripped her wrist to help her right herself, she was falling backwards into the pool…and taking him with her.

An hour later they emerged from the Security office in the Visitor’s Center, their hair soaking wet, but both of them sporting flannel pajama pants and sweatshirts from the Hearst Castle Gift Shop. “Well, that was definitely a first.” Wyatt quipped as he ushered a mortified Lucy through the doors out to the parking lot. “I don’t think I’ve ever been banned from an historical site before.” Lucy covered her face with her hands, too humiliated to even speak as Wyatt opened the passenger door for her, “C’mon Lucy…” Wyatt urged, “it’s not the end of the world.”

“We were practically arrested, Wyatt.” she moaned as she sank into the passenger seat. 

“We weren’t arrested.” Wyatt scoffed as he clambered into the driver’s side beside her. “We got a wrist slap from security and a lifetime ban to a place we’d probably never go back to anyway.” He started the engine and looked over at her, slumped in the seat and still hiding her face. Chuckling, he pulled her seatbelt over her and secured it, “Didn’t you ever get sent to the principal’s office as a kid?”

Dropping her hands, Lucy looked up at his completely aghast, “No, I did not.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Wyatt muttered, “C’mon Lucy…

“My mother is going to kill me.” she moaned. 

“Your mother doesn’t have to know.”

Lucy dropped her hands from her face and offered Wyatt a sardonic glare, “My mother _knows_ everyone. She went to school with at least five of the directors in there….it won’t be long before she finds out about this.” she muttered woefully, “Oh, who am I kidding? She probably _already_ knows about this. What am I going to do?”

Wyatt shrugged, “Tell her the truth. You fell.” Wyatt scoffed, “How’s your phone by the way?”

“It’s fine.” Lucy muttered grumpily, “I have a waterproof case. How’s yours?”

“Same.” Wyatt assured her as he squeezed her shoulder, “C’mon Lucy…don’t let this bug you. I don’t know what the big deal was, anyway. What good is a damn pool if nobody is gonna use it? Seems like a waste of water if you ask me.”

Lucy gaped at him in disbelief, “How can you be so…so fine with all of this?”

“Are you kidding?” he asked her incredulously, “We just took a dip in William Randolph Hearst’s pool.” Wyatt said with a grin, “That little accident you had up there? Best part of the whole damn tour.”

“That’s easy for you to say, you weren’t the one everyone was staring at.” she groaned as she covered her face with her hands again, “That was the most humiliating moment of my life.”

Wyatt scoffed as he began pulling out of the parking space, “And you got to swim in that old geezer’s pool and they didn’t.” he reminded her. 

“I’d hardly call that swimming…more like flailing around like a crazy person and getting dragged out by security.”

“But it’s something you’ll always remember.” Wyatt said with a nod, “I know I’ll never forget it.” he added with a teasing smile. Lucy frowned in response, and Wyatt nudged her, “C’mon, you’re not gonna mope the rest of the way, are you?” he asked coyly, “Because I have to say ma’am, that would really put a damper on _my_ vacation.”

“Well, we can’t have that now, can we?” Lucy replied, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. 

‘Hell no.” Wyatt replied as he turned back onto Highway 1, “Not when we’re having this much fun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been working on this chapter since the last update...so this has been many months in the making. As some of you know life has been hectic and with three fics in the works, it's just inevitable that one fic will get more attention than the others. I apologize for the delay on this. I will really work hard to not have another long pause with this one...it's all plotted out and dialogued for the most part...I just have to write it...and unfortunately, since these chapters don't write themselves, it's just a matter of finding the time. 
> 
> That said, I really hope you enjoyed this update, I've been so anxious to get this one out for you all for MONTHS, so it is a relief to finally be able to post it. Thank you so much for reading and have a great day!


	5. Chapter 5

“Yes, mom. Yes. I’m fine.”

Lucy sighed forcefully as heavy raindrops splattered onto the windshield prompting Wyatt to switch on the wipers. It had only been an hour after leaving Hearst Castle before, just as Lucy had predicted, her mother called and demanded to know exactly what had happened. “It was….Mom… _Mom_ , it was just…it was just an accident. I tripped.” 

With her free hand, Lucy covered her eyes and rubbed her temples, looking beyond frustrated…and Wyatt couldn’t help but feel immensely sorry for her as she continued arguing with her mother.

“Well, Dr. McCollough didn’t have to call you, did she?” Lucy spat out in clear annoyance, “It’s hardly any of her business if I…Mom, I _would_ have told you…I just didn’t…” she cast a meaningful glare towards Wyatt, as she continued “Mom, the whole reason I didn’t tell them who I was, was to avoid _this_ ….besides, it shouldn’t matter…” Lucy groaned as she sat there shaking her head, listening to her mother on the other line. “Mom, you really don’t have to…it’s _okay_ , mom. No…please…don’t call them. _Don’t_ call them. Mom…mom?” Lucy huffed out a frustrated breath as she threw her phone back in her purse, “Well, she knows.”

“Really? I couldn’t tell.” Wyatt replied with a derisive laugh, “I’m guessing she didn’t take it very well?”

Lucy scoffed, “That’s the understatement of the year. She’s calling them…she wants to personally apologize for my behavior and ask them to lift my ban as a personal favor to _her_.”

“What the hell does it matter if you’re allowed to go into that place or not?” Wyatt asked incredulously. “Do you usually make trips down here to go see William Randolph Hearst's party palace?”

“No.” Lucy said shortly. 

“Then, what’s the point?”

“It’s the principal of the thing” Lucy mimicked as she roughly picked at her cuticles, “Ugh,” she sighed in exasperation, throwing her hands down, “My mother is taking it as a personal insult that _her_ daughter was thrown out of a place that _she_ has sponsored for years.” She rolled her eyes as she continued to imitate her mother, “Do you have any idea how much we have contributed to that Foundation? Research, funding…”

“Who’s we?” Wyatt asked in confusion.

Lucy shrugged, “I don’t know…my family? I mean, as long as I can remember my mother has been an honorary board member of sorts for that Foundation. . 

“But not you?”

“No…” Lucy said with a laugh, “Are you kidding? I mean, I grew up learning a lot about the place…my mom is sort of a leading expert on William Randolph Hearst...but I would never be invited to…I mean, like I said, my mother has friends and connections everywhere…not me. She's world-class.” she added miserably.

“So, this is more about you embarrassing her in front of her friends than anything else.” Wyatt offered in exasperation as Lucy huffed out another breath. “How the hell did they even know to call your mother? I mean, it’s not like you told them…”

“I didn’t tell them anything.” Lucy huffed out. “they must have put two and two together after they checked my I.D.” She covered her face with her hands again she growled in frustration, “I just wish she’d stop treating me like a child.”

Wyatt was inclined to agree with Lucy. He hadn’t met Carol Preston, but just from the little time that he had known Lucy he had fashioned a pretty well-rounded opinion of her…and it wasn’t good. World-class or not…from what he could tell she was a domineering control-freak hell-bent on dictating every aspect of Lucy’s life. But it wasn’t his place to express a derisive opinion of Lucy’s mother…especially since he had never so much as laid eyes on her. Instead, Wyatt tried to soothe Lucy as best he could in light of the situation, “Look on the bright side,” he offered with a sigh, “at least she cares enough to go to bat for you. My dad? He’d as soon crawl over broken glass than to ever come to my defense for anything.”

“You don’t get along with your father?”

“ _That’s_ the understatement of the year.” Wyatt admitted with a chuckle. “You said your mom is world-class? My dad? Is a world-class sonofabitch.”

“Wyatt…”

“I mean it, Lucy.” he emphasized with a shake of his head, “The only thing I learned from my old man is how _not_ to live your life. I thank God every day I had my Grandpa Sherwin to pick up the slack.” He sighed, “Your mom may be…”

“A little on the controlling side? Completely infuriating?” Lucy offered, unable to hide the irritation in her voice.

“…but she’s your mom, right?" Wyatt continued with a meaningful nod, "And she obviously cares about your future and what you do…wants to make sure you make good choices...”

Lucy sat back in the seat with a huff, slumping down slightly as she looked out of the window with a sigh. “The choices _she_ thinks are good.” she mumbled in a low voice….so low, that Wyatt almost didn’t hear her. But he did hear her…and as he glanced her way, he saw that she looked more unhappy than he had ever seen her.

Anxious to get her in better spirits, Wyatt added tentatively, “I think a good parent…or _grand_ parent wants what’s best for us…and yeah, sometimes they think they know better than we do.” Seeing that Lucy was still frowning in the seat beside him, he continued, “Your mom _obviously_ wants you to follow in her footsteps…doesn’t mean she should totally control your life, though.” Lucy's eyes darted to his with an expression Wyatt wasn't quite sure how to place. She didn't look angry...or offended...more like...surprised. Feeling a bit bolder, he added tentatively, “If you don’t like what your mom has planned out for you…then change it.” 

"Ha." she barked out, "If only it were that easy." Lucy shook her head as she bit her lip in thought, before admitting quietly, “I’ve wanted to be like my mom my whole life. She's my hero, you know?" She glanced towards Wyatt who nodded at her as she continued, "I thought that if I went to the right school, got the right degrees, took the right job it would…I don’t know…” she trailed off, looking out the window at the rain again. 

“You shouldn’t be afraid to carve your own path just because you’re afraid to disappoint her.” Wyatt offered gently, “If she loves you,” he added with a meaningful glance, “she’ll understand.” 

Again, Lucy turned to him with an expression he couldn't quite place. She looked...grateful? He wasn't sure...because it was clear to him that she was fighting some kind of inner battle with herself. He could see a fierce determination in her jaw, the look of something like hope in her eye...but there was something else, an air of resignation and hopelessness that seemed to be weighing her down like five ton weight. Nodding thoughtfully, Lucy sighed and turned her gaze back to the dreary landscape outside. Thinking he had offended her or pushed too hard with unwanted advice, Wyatt shifted uncomfortably in his seat, working on an apology when she muttered softly, “Your Grandpa Sherwin must have been a great man.”

“He was.” Wyatt assured after a pause. “I don’t know where I would be today if it weren’t for him.” Lucy nodded, but said nothing more. Afraid he had crossed a line, Wyatt began frantically, "Look, Lucy…I’m really sorry if….I mean, I hardly know you and I shouldn’t be throwing out advice to you like that…I just, I don’t think you should feel like you don’t have a choice.” He let out a nervous chuckle and continued, "The way I see it, life is full of choices - some big, some small...some stupid," he added with a smile, "but _we_ make them...and those choices make _us_." 

Lucy eyed him curiously for a while before replying with a teasing smile, "That's very profound, Mr. Logan." He shrugged and smiled at her in return, grateful to see her smile again, before she continued with a sigh,“You don’t have to apologize. I mean, I get advice day in and day out from my mother…I’m kind of used to it.” she teased before bowing her head and ruefully admitting, “You’re right though…I should take more control of my life…but this…this is everything I ever worked for…everything that I’m _supposed_ to want.”

“But you don’t want it?” Wyatt asked, almost regretting immediately that he had because Lucy went uncomfortably silent again and remained so for a long time before she finally turned to him with a shaky sigh.

“Are you happy, Wyatt?”

She had spoken it so softly, he wasn’t quite sure he had heard her, until he chanced a glance in her direction and saw her looking at him with a quiet sort of expectation. 

“How…how do you mean?” he asked in confusion. 

“You said...at dinner last night” she murmured thoughtfully, “that being successful in your career didn’t automatically make you happy….and then you said,” she added in a shaky voice, “that you knew that from experience.”

Wyatt swallowed hard. He was never one to talk much about his personal life, especially not to strangers…but Lucy wasn’t a stranger…she was…something else entirely and though he didn’t understand it, he found himself admitting before he could even stop himself, “No…I'm not happy...I mean, I’m working on it.” he sighed, “it’s been a rough year.”

“So that’s why you’re heading up to San Francisco? To work on it?” 

“Something like that, yeah.” Wyatt replied. “I had a lot of leave saved up…and well, I just got home from a deployment to Syria...” 

“And out of all the places you chose to work on being happy, you chose San Francisco?” she asked incredulously, “Why not kick back on a tropical island somewhere?”

Wyatt shook his head dismissively, “I don’t do the beach much anymore after my surfing accident.” he quipped, “never liked it much anyway…too much damn sand everywhere.”

“Surfing accident?” she piqued, brightening suddenly, “oh, this I’ve got to hear…”

Rolling his eyes, but happy to see that Lucy was no longer looking so down in the dumps, Wyatt decided to humor her even if it was at the expense of his pride, “It…I wiped out, okay?" he admitted as she giggled at the thought, "I was showing off, thinking I could tackle some 15 foot wave and...I couldn't. Hit my head on the damn board and wound up with a concussion.”

“A concussion?” Lucy exclaimed in horror, “Oh, Wyatt, I'm sorry...I had no idea it was that serious. You...you could have drowned out there. How did you even get back to shore?"

“I'm really not sure...I just remember hitting the board” Wyatt admitted with a shrug, “just woke up in this God-awful hospital, my wife was the one who told me what happened.”

“Wait…you’re _married_?” Lucy asked, sitting up suddenly in alarm.

Her reaction to that news was not lost on Wyatt, nor was the accompanying sigh of relief that followed when he answered with a shake of his head, "No, not anymore."

‘Oh.” Lucy breathed out, relaxing back into her seat, “I’m…I’m sorry.” 

“Nothing to be sorry about." Wyatt dismissed with a shrug.

They say in awkward silence for a while, before Lucy, her fingers twisting in her lap anxiously, turned to him and asked, "So...how long..." Wyatt turned to look at her in surprise, which caused her to flush and apologize again, "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to pry."

Sighing, Wyatt related with a frown, “We got together in high school, we were married for a few years…but…things just didn’t work out.” He nodded thoughtfully before explaining with some hesitation, “I was gone… _a lot_ , she got lonely…and I came home early from Kandahar to surprise her...well, it uh…didn’t end well.” 

“Wyatt…” Lucy groaned, “I’m so sorry.”

“Not your fault.” he shrugged, “We tried to make it work...even after all of that…but um...we went out to this bar one night and _he_ was there...well, let’s just say I wasn’t such a nice guy.”

“I don't think any one can blame you for that." Lucy offered in support.

"Jessica did." Wyatt scoffed, "And hell, she was right...I shouldn't have let that asshole get under my skin the way I did..."

“Wyatt," Lucy gaped at him incredulously, "It's only human to feel angry and hurt when someone...” she bit her lip, “I’m sorry…I shouldn’t say anything.”

Wyatt smiled, “It’s okay, Lucy…really. I just…I wanted to make things up to her, at least bury the hatchet. She had always wanted to go to San Francisco...we had talked about doing it for her birthday before the divorce...so when I got back from Syria, I thought I’d surprise her with this trip...but…um…I guess I should have called first…” he added with a meaningful nod. 

“Oh no.” Lucy groaned.

"Yeah...I never was one for planning out stuff like this."

"…and then you got stuck in traffic because of me.”

“Yeah," Wyatt said as he barked out a laugh, "I thought the universe had it out for me big time..."

"I thought you didn't believe in stuff like that?" Lucy teased. 

"I don't." Wyatt maintained, "I just meant that I thought I had made the biggest mistake of my life...taking this road, being stuck behind miles and miles of stopped cars." he pressed with a teasing glare towards Lucy, "But I think it all turned out okay, don't you?"

Lucy cast him a sideways glance, “Really? You’re not just saying that because you’re worried about hurting my feelings, are you?”

“Hell no.” Wyatt replied as she shook her head with a smile. “Really, Lucy…" he assured, "it’s fine. This trip didn't start off as anything special...just an excuse to get the hell out of San Diego. Meeting you? Definitely a highlight.” he admitted before realizing he had probably said too much, “I…I mean, look at what I’ve done...I've been axe-throwing, I’ve eaten waffles, seen the world’s first hotel and…even got to swim in William Randolph Heart’s pool.”

“Don’t forget - we got in trouble for that one.” Lucy muttered, a small smile pulling at her lips. 

“Who cares?” he shrugged, “I sure as hell don’t. After the way this vacation started out…let’s just say, getting a lifetime ban from Hearst Castle isn’t exactly on par with seeing your ex-wife… moving on…wearing your old t-shirt.”

“Ouch.” Lucy offered. "Really, Wyatt...I'm sorry for brining all of this up...you're trying to get away from all of that and..." 

“It’s not your fault.” he sighed, “And hell, it’s not really hers either. Why wouldn’t she move on? She wasn’t happy…I was always gone…trainings, deployments, missions…”

“Makes it hard to maintain a relationship.” Lucy nodded in understanding. “I know a bit of what that’s like…I never really had time for romance – what with all the research and the writing,” she smiled to herself as she added, “Contrary to popular belief, spending your Friday and Saturday nights in the bowels of the library isn’t exactly the best way to add a bit of excitement to your social life.”

“You don’t say?” Wyatt teased.

“I know, shocking, right?” she replied an affected grin. “You’d really be surprised how many people _aren’t_ hanging out in the microfilm room on the weekends reading about people who have been dead for centuries.”

“But…you’re engaged.” Wyatt offered, with some hesitation…not really wanting to bring up that particular fact. “You obviously had to have done something right…what, did you find him on the side of the road, too?”

Looking down at her ring with a frown, Lucy narrowed her brow in thought before letting out an incredulous laugh, “Actually, yes.” she replied, “I guess I sort of did.”

"You're joking?" Wyatt asked incredulously. 

"No, I swear," Lucy assured with a a laugh as she sat back in her seat, shaking her head at the coincidence, “The whole thing was nuts,” she explained, “Most Saturdays, I jog along the Golden Gate bridge...there's always a lot of people out there and I've never had any issues...but this one day I was in the middle of my run and this guy...he just started screaming and chasing after me...

“Let me guess,” Wyatt interrupted, “your fiancé came swooping in to save the day? Rescued the damsel in distress? Told that creep to take a hike?”

“No,” she said with a derisive laugh before admitting with some hesitancy, “Noah _was_ the creep.”

Wyatt laughed, thinking she was joking, but when he turned to look at her, he could tell from the embarrassment on her face that she wasn’t. “Are you serious?” Wyatt asked incredulously, “The guy you’re going to marry… _he_ was the _creep_? He shook his head at her in disbelief, “You really do have an issue with personal safety, don’t you?

“Very funny, Wyatt” Lucy jabbed, “You do realize that I trusted _you_ and you turned out to not be a creep, right?”

“Yeah, but, Lucy…that’s different. I was _helping_ you…I wasn’t chasing you down like some...” he trailed off as Lucy shot him a warning glance. Clearing his throat, he continued sarcastically, “So…he was chasing you down and scaring the hell out of you…”

Lucy rolled her eyes and smiled, “Yes…and of course, I was terrified. I had run on that bridge almost every Saturday for years and had never experienced _anything_ like _that_.” she shook her head, “So I just… _ran_ as fast as I could, trying to get away…and he kept chasing me until he tripped and fell. “She let out a small laugh, “Landed right on his face...he looked so helpless…”

Wyatt stared at her incredulously, “You went over to check on him, didn’t you?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“Well, of course I did.” Lucy exclaimed as Wyatt rolled his eyes, “Oh, come on Wyatt…he looked like he was in a lot of pain…what was I supposed to do, let him lay there, all alone…miserable…and bleeding?”

“Yes!" Wyatt exclaimed throwing his head back in exasperation, "Jesus, Lucy...you really need to take some basic lessons in self-defense and personal safety. Rule number one, when some asshole is chasing you, you get the hell out of there and report his ass to the nearest non-asshole around.”

“Well, that was the plan….until he tripped.” Lucy maintained weakly as Wyatt shook his head at her in disbelief, “Okay, yes…he scared me at first but when we got to talking…he was really nice…and then when he asked me to dinner…”

“So let me see if I’ve got this straight,” Wyatt began in confusion, “you met your fiancé because he decided to chase you down while you were working out, scared the hell out of you…and then hooked you into a date because you felt sorry for him?”

“Well…yes.” Lucy admitted shamefully, “but...but it wasn’t like that, okay? He just….I don’t know…really wanted my number.” 

Wyatt raised his eyebrows skeptically, “He couldn’t have waited until you stopped running and asked you out like a normal person?”

“Well, I don’t know.” Lucy scoffed in frustration, “maybe he was just…afraid that…that he would never see me again.” She eyed Wyatt meaningfully, “Haven’t you ever done anything drastic and stupid? Something you never thought you would ever do in a million years?”

“Never.” Wyatt said with a determined nod, but at Lucy’s scoff, he relented. “Well, okay there was this ONE time when I offered this total stranger a ride,” he began, seriously. “Typically, it’s not something I would _ever_ do…but they _seemed_ really nice…and kind of helpless…being stuck there on the side of the road and all.” He shook his head solemnly as his voice slowed dramatically, “But then," he continued, "I was forced into their hotel room and that wasn't even the worst part...they _made_ me sleep in the same bed with them _after_ they stole all the damn pillows….and then, the next morning? They ate _my_ breakfast after I specifically asked them not to.”

“Are you finished?” Lucy asked dryly. 

Wyatt cast a sideways glance at her, a devilish gleam in his eyes, “I’m just being honest, ma’am.” he deadpanned with a shrug.

Yes, he was teasing Lucy…but despite her assurances that this Noah wasn’t a certified creep, Wyatt couldn’t help but think of all the times he had gone out running. Sure, as a red-blooded male he had checked out his fair share of women at the gym or even out on the running trail…but _that_ is where it ended. Never, even in his most desperate circumstances, even when Jessica had cheated on him and they were at the lowest point in their marriage had he ever considered harassing some woman while she was getting in her workout. Hell, any guy who even approached a woman on the treadmill or the elliptical while she was in the middle of her cardio deserved the title of asshole in his book. 

You just didn’t do that. 

But Noah didn't just chase Lucy down...he shouted after her too. Who the hell does that? No wonder she had been scared. Still, Wyatt figured, she must have seen something she liked in the guy…otherwise she wouldn’t have ended up engaged to him....right? With that thought in mind, Wyatt offered with a nod to her ring, “Okay…so…um…I'm guessing he wasn’t a serial killer then? Or are creepy assholes just your type?”

"Ha ha" she replied with an eye roll, though she had a broad smile on her face, "No, Wyatt...he's not a serial killer." she maintained before turning her gaze back down to her ring and muttering with a thoughtful frown, "He’s a very nice man.” .

Of course he was, Wyatt thought, because he couldn’t imagine Lucy with anyone who was not. He may have given her a hard time about being too trusting, but for all the potential dangers that could pose for her, as a woman, especially…it also proved that she, herself, was kind and caring. Of course, he already knew that about her. She had no reason to initially trust Noah or even himself...but she had. Hell, she put aside her own personal safety last night to make sure he was comfortable and had a good night's sleep...and hadn't she done that with her fiance? He chased her down like some kind of raving lunatic and the minute he ate the pavement, there she was...asking if he was okay. She repeatedly set aside her own desires to make others happy. Whether it was driving her fiance's Porsche to San Diego instead of her preferred Honda Civic or taking the job at Stanford to please her mother...Lucy was probably the most kind and selfless person he knew. 

So really, the guy she ended up with had to be something really special.. Hell, to be engaged to Lucy Preston? He half wondered what kind of screening process her mother had in place to allow that to happen. He knew it was none of his damn business, but he couldn't help himself...he had to know. “So,” he began with a devilish smirk, “I’m guessing this Noah guy meets your mom’s expectations for you then?” 

“Oh yes.” Lucy said with a roll of her eyes, “After our first date, she pretty much _demanded_ to meet him…"

Hardly surprised, Wyatt continued to tease her, "Did she order the blood tests right away, or..."

Offering him a sardonic glare, Lucy replied sarcastically, "No, Wyatt...that's more of a fifth date kind of thing." He chuckled as she continued with a laugh, "But seriously, it was the craziest thing. When I introduced him to my mother, it turned out _she_ had known his family for years.”

Wyatt paused, his brow furrowed in thought, “But _you_ had never met this guy before?”

“No.” Lucy explained with a laugh as she shook her head, “His family lives in New York...and have since...well, before _I_ was born." At Wyatt's continued puzzled expression Lucy added, "Our mothers grew up together...went to the same school...were even roommates in college...then my mother took the job at Stanford and Noah's mother went to Columbia."

So...Noah..." Wyatt began

"Noah came to San Francisco for his residency." Lucy muttered with a frown as she picked at her cuticle, "He had only been in town for about a month before we ran in to each other."

“Really?” Wyatt mused thoughtfully, suddenly suspicious, “What a coincidence…”

“Yeah, isn’t it, though?” Lucy agreed, her own brow furrowed in thought, “I mean what are the odds that out of all the people in the city, I would run into the one guy whose mother was practically best friends with _my_ mother all through her school years?” Lucy let out a short laugh, “You know she told me, after he left that night, that she and Noah’s mother had always joked about the two of us…you know…getting married someday.”

“How thoughtful of them.” Wyatt replied flatly, absolutely suspicious now, “Well, then I’m surprised they didn’t just set the two of you up.”

“Oh no,” Lucy dismissed with a shake of her head, “I would never agree to something like that. I despise set ups,” she explained, “they just make me feel so... pathetic. Besides,” she said with a sigh, "I kind of like the idea of chance meetings..." she eyed him playfully as she added, "you know..because...fate."

“And your mom knows this?” Wyatt asked meaningfully.

“Are you kidding?” Lucy scoffed, “Do you know how many dates she has tried to set me up on in my life” She rolled her eyes, "She knows how much I hate it, but it never stopped her." 

Yeah, Wyatt was sure it hadn't. 

He wasn’t one to generally jump to conclusions, but right now his mind was abuzz with the not so crazy theory that Lucy’s mother had been the means to bring Lucy and her fiancé together. As Lucy said herself, what were the odds of her running into (or rather, from) the one guy whom her mother had always wanted her to marry…so soon after arriving in San Francisco, too? If she knew that Lucy didn’t agree to setups, knew where Lucy liked to workout, then maybe…just maybe she had dropped this Noah a not so subtle hint.

He chanced a glance at Lucy, trying to get some kind of reading on whether she suspected what was glaringly obvious to him or if she was woefully oblivious to the fact that in yet another area of her life, her mother had seemingly asserted her control. But to his utmost frustration he absolutely could not read her expression. While he was not about to relay his suspicions to her, he sure as hell could not let this go. Trying to give her a hint, Wyatt pressed, “So…your mom wasn’t at all concerned about the fact that you decided to go out with Noah after he chased you down and scared the hell out of you?”

Lucy frowned, “No…but that’s probably because I didn’t share that particular detail with her.” She nudged him playfully, “Like I said before, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her, right?”

“Yeah.” Wyatt agreed flatly, thinking the same might be true for Lucy. 

Hell, he knew the same _had_ to be true for Lucy. What would it do to her to find out this _one_ thing in her life that she thought was hers had likely been arranged by her mother? And that it had been since before she and this Noah guy had ever even met – not as a cute little “what could be” story, but as a real honest to God plan? Here Lucy was thinking it was because of some nonsense like fate when in reality it was all because her controlling mother couldn't trust her to meet a decent guy on her own. 

Of course, he had no real proof…and given that he was sort of biased when it came to Lucy’s relationship with her fiancé, he hardly thought that it would be right for him to give her a head’s up that she was walking straight into, what he thought was, an obviously arranged marriage. No, he couldn’t and wouldn’t do that. 

Because _he_ was _not_ an _asshole_.

And if Lucy didn’t know…and she really loved this guy…what did it matter, really? If he was right and this was all some elaborate set up arranged by her mother, she obviously knew the type of guy Lucy would like…otherwise Lucy wouldn’t have even given him a second glance. Or maybe this Noah guy was briefed on Lucy’s likes or dislikes beforehand so he would be sure to snag a date with her? Or maybe it all _was_ just some kind of crazy coincidence…that she just happened to run into the _one guy_ her mother had always wanted her to marry and sparks flew on their own accord. 

Like…fate. 

Except Wyatt didn’t believe in fate. 

“I know you don’t believe in fate,” Lucy replied as she rummaged through her purse, “but what does that have to do with dinner?” 

“Huh?” Wyatt asked, completely confused. 

“Where do you want to go to dinner?” Lucy repeated. “Do you want to eat in Monterey or wait and grab something closer to San Francisco?” She eyed Wyatt curiously as he rubbed a hand across his face, “Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah,” he nodded quickly, “I’m just…um…thinking.”

“Hmmm?” Lucy muttered beside him as she pulled out her phone, “What about? Fate?” she asked with a teasing smile.

“Something like that, yeah.” Wyatt replied, before shrugging it off, “I think…I think I’m just a little tired that’s all.” 

“Well, then we had better stop in Monterey.” Lucy mumbled as she pulled up the search engine on her phone, “probably a good idea to stretch our legs anyway, right?”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Wyatt readily agreed. He was hardly in a mood to argue with her given what had just transpired. It would be good for him to get out of the car for a while and put some space between them. Who was Lucy to him, anyway? Just a stranger he happened to be helping. She wasn’t his girlfriend, hell, she was barely even a friend…he had known her for a grand total of 24 hours, so there was no reason for him to get involved in her personal life and the issues she had with her mother. Her life was her own and it was no business of his who she married or how they met…even if it was the creepiest damn thing he had ever heard. 

“Oh no.” Lucy breathed out as she looked down at their matching lounge pants and sweatshirts from Hearst Castle. “We can’t go anywhere like this…what are we going to do?”

“Uh…let’s see…Monterey?” Wyatt mused as he checked his watch, “We could probably go up to the Presidio and get a shower at the Fitness Center on post. You’ve got an extra change of clothes in your bag, right?” he asked as Lucy nodded. “Well then yeah…we’ll do that and then we can just decide where we want to go to dinner from there.”

With a plan firmly in place, they continued driving along the winding, narrow road along the coast to Monterey, the gorgeous views meeting them at every curve only made more hauntingly beautiful by the gray skies and light fog lying just over the surface of the white-capped ocean.

“It’s too bad we can’t get a few pictures,” Lucy bemoaned, “the Bixby bridge is probably the most iconic site on this drive.” she moaned as they approached the gracefully arched bridge spanning a canyon along the rocky shoreline. 

‘Well who says we can’t?” Wyatt shrugged as they made their way across, “I don’t mind getting a little wet…again.” he added with a teasing smile. Pulling into the large shoulder area on the far side of the bridge, obviously cleared off to accommodate the many tourists who, under better conditions, would have had the same idea. As the rain was coming down, pretty steadily, however, Wyatt and Lucy found themselves quite alone in the small parking area. Putting his Jeep in park, Wyatt turned to Lucy, “You coming?”

Lucy peered out of the windshield and turned to Wyatt incredulously, “You’re serious? You’re going to try to get a picture in _this_ weather?”

“Why not?” Wyatt shrugged, “You said it's iconic...and I probably won’t be coming back this way again...”

“But…but you’ll be going back to San Diego, right?” Lucy asked in confusion, “Why wouldn’t you…”

But Wyatt didn’t wait for her to finish, the next moment he flung open his door and raced across the road to where the bridge stretched out before him, curving and spanning along the coastline as the churning sea and crashing waves pounded along the massive rocks below. Even in the rain, the view was spectacular…and while he was sure the scene was even more phenomenal on a clear day, right now…this dreary, storm-tossed sight, pretty much summed up his mood.

They were about two hours from San Francisco…meaning that Monterey was their last stop…the last bit of time they would be able to spend together before reality checked in. Lucy, _engaged_ Lucy, would go back to her ivy-league life and live happily ever after with her fiancé…and he, he would just be a character in some story she would tell her grandkids - about the time she got stranded on the side of the road and some smooth-talking jackass convinced her to hitch a ride back home in his beat-up Jeep. 

But as much as he tried to tell himself that that was how it should be; that her heart belonged to someone else and he should absolutely not give a damn about whether he saw her ever again, a small voice in his head kept whispering insistently that losing Lucy Preston was not an option. 

And he didn’t understand it. 

He hardly knew her…and yet, the idea of leaving her in San Francisco and driving off into the figurative sunset…alone…made him feel more alone than he had ever felt before. 

Which was stupid…because twenty-four hours ago he didn’t even know she existed.

Twenty-four hours ago, he had been in his Jeep, looking forward to a weekend of bar-hopping, sight-seeing and maybe a trek over to Yosemite. He wasn't interested in meeting any women...particularly after this latest sting with Jessica...and he sure as hell hadn't planned on picking one up from the side of the damn road. He didn't know how it happened...or when...it was just _something_ about her that made him feel like he had known her all of his life. That, in and of itself was ridiculous...because they couldn't have been more different. She was a world-class, ivy-league, California, big-city girl...and he was a low-class, community college, Texas boy from a one-horse town. 

Even if there wasn't a fiance in this picture, it would never work between them. So...there was no use pining over something that could never happen in a million years. Whatever this was, he had to nip it in the bud…and there was no way in hell he would be able to do that, to drive back home to San Diego, putting all that distance between them, if everywhere he looked, he was reminded of her…and all the fun they had together on this damn drive. 

“Do you want to be in the picture?”

Lucy’s voice, shouting at him over the roar over the crashing waves and pounding rain, caught him completely by surprise. Whirling around, Wyatt nearly fell backwards at the sight of her standing right beside him…he hadn’t even heard her approach…which was amazing considering that from the large mud splotches on her lounge pants, she had obviously sloshed through every single mud puddle in order to reach him. 

Holding her large purse over her head as a makeshift umbrella, Lucy peered through the rain at Wyatt, an amused smile on her face, “Wyatt,” she laughed incredulously, “you’re getting soaked – do you want a picture or not?”

“Uh…yeah.” he stated absent-mindedly and before he knew it, she had his phone in her hands, her purse draped across her body as she directed him where to stand for the best shot.

“Got it.” she said with a smile, but before Wyatt could retrieve his phone from her, she quickly stepped beside him, raised the phone in the air and snapped a selfie of the two of them. “There.” she said with a smile as she tucked his phone away, “Now you can’t forget me.”

Wyatt wanted to tell her that he would probably never forget her…that for some strange reason he was practically head over heels for her, that maybe...if timing had been on their side…but he couldn’t say any of that, so instead he just slowly made his way back to the Jeep, taking one last look at the storm-tossed coast before sliding in behind the wheel. 

“Well, we will definitely need that shower now.” Lucy exclaimed as she shook out her hair, making Wyatt’s mouth go a little dry at the sight of long, dark locks, dancing about her shoulders, “I’m completely covered mud and you…you might as well have taken another dip in Willian Randolph Hearst’s pool. Wyatt,” she giggled as she took in his sodden state, “you are _completely_ soaked.”

He shrugged indifferently, “Ah it’s only…what? 20 more miles to Monterey?”” he padded his at his jacket, “Where’s my phone?”

“Oh, here it is” Lucy replied, coloring slightly as she pulled it out of her purse, “Sorry, I was just...keeping it dry.” Handing his phone back to him, she sighed, “So, what? A half an hour before we can get clean again?”

“Sounds about right.” Wyatt said with a thoughtful frown as he pulled back onto the highway, “You decide what you’re in the mood for, for dinner?”

“Hmmm…you _must_ be out of practice.” Lucy said with a teasing smile as she pulled out her own phone, “Don’t you know? You never ask a woman where she wants to go to dinner…because we’ll never be able to choose.” She looked down at her screen, her, a small smile playing across her face as she flipped her finger across the screen before she began typing away and browsing through restaurants, “Oooo…we could eat on the wharf, looks like there are some nice seafood restaurants there that overlook the bay…huh, " she mused, "but there’s this Gianni’s Pizza that looks pretty good…but I don’t want to get you pizza…”

“What do you mean _you_ don’t want to get me pizza?”

“Well, I’m buying you dinner, Wyatt.” Lucy explained as he began to protest. 

“No, Lucy…” he said firmly, “you’re not buying me dinner. You bought me dinner last night…you don’t need to…”

“I know I don’t need to” she interrupted quietly, “I _want_ to.” she nodded at him meaningfully, “Please, Wyatt…you’ve been so nice to me…and besides I…I got you kicked out of Hearst Castle." he rolled his eyes in objection, but she continued, “I would feel so much better about today if you would just let me make it up to you..."

“Lucy…” Wyatt said with determination, “I’m not letting you pay for my dinner…okay?” He looked at her, an expression of real hurt behind her eyes as he explained, “You keep wanting to thank me, but Lucy…I’m serious…you don’t owe me anything, okay?” She nodded, but Wyatt could tell she was really hurt that he had rejected her offer. Feeling like an ass, he added with a resigned sigh, “This…this dinner will be on me.”

“On you?" Lucy asked in surprise, "Why?”

Wyatt shrugged, “Because you got me kicked out of Hearst Castle…and maybe I want to thank _you_.” he teased.

Quirking her brow at him, Lucy nodded, “Okay.” she agreed as a small smile pulled at her lips, “But I’m buying dessert…”

It had been years since Wyatt had been to Monterey, having been sent there as a young and inexperienced PFC for the extensive and grueling language training they provide there. Not quite old enough to drink, newly married, and absolutely determined to qualify for Delta Force in a few years, Wyatt didn't spend much time away from his studies. While his older classmates explored the California coast, his experience with the quirky bayside town was limited to the tiny base sitting on the top of a steep hill known simply as the Presidio.

He, therefore, hadn’t given much thought to ambiance of the town and its neighboring sisters of Carmel and Pacific Grove when Lucy had asked him about having dinner there...that is, until Lucy gasped out in delight as they began making their way through the quaint Old World streets of Carmel. "Ugh...I just love Carmel," she sighed, "it's just so romantic."

Wyatt couldn't readily agree...because "romantic" was something he was determined not to associate with Lucy in any way shape or form, so when she asked him if he wanted to eat in Carmel at one of the many European style bistros, he absolutely responded in the negative. "I think there's a good burger place right off Cannery Row in Monterey," he suggested, "at least there was the last time I was here." 

"I thought you never drove the Pacific Coast Highway before?" she asked with a quirked brow. 

"That's right. I never have." Wyatt maintained, "Monterey does have an airport, you know" he added, before explaining, "I was sent here for language training a couple of times."

"How much is a couple?" Lucy asked in confusion, "Wait...how many languages do you speak?"

"Including English? Four." he responded with a shrug, "But the military only sent me here twice....for Farsi and German."

"Oh." Lucy responded, looking at him with newfound respect and little bit of awe, "And what's your fourth?"

Wyatt smirked as he cast her a sidelong glance, "I thought you'd be able to work that one out for yourself, ma'am." he muttered playfully. 

Biting her lip in thought, Lucy eyed him carefully, "Hmmm...it would have to be something you wouldn't necessarily need training for..." she reasoned, before gasping in sudden realization, "You're from Texas...so Spanish, of course." 

"Of course." Wyatt agreed as they made their way through the Victorian setting of Pacific Grove...which sent Lucy sighing again.

"You are so lucky." Lucy observed dreamily as they passed a particularly ornate Victorian home, "Living here must have been amazing."

Wyatt shrugged as he replied flatly, "Yeah, the Presidio was great."

"What? You didn't venture beyond the base?" Lucy asked incredulously. 

"Well, Lucy...you have to understand," Wyatt explained, "I was like nineteen when I first came here, "he added with no certain amount of embarrassment, "I wasn't exactly rolling in the dough...and this place isn't cheap."

"So you just...stayed in your room and studied?" she asked with a frown. 

"I went out every once in a while." he said defensively, "Hit the wharf for some free clam chowder samples, watched the harbor seals...but yeah, mostly I stayed on the Presidio." He shifted awkwardly, "I just...I was really focused on doing well so I could get into Delta Force. It's really competitive...and they look at everything, not just the physical stuff. Besides," he said with a shrug, " I was married...I didn't really do what a lot of the other guys I was there with did."

"Ah." Lucy said with a smile, "Well, I'm sure your wife appreciated that."

"Yeah." he said flatly. 

The truth was that Jessica had been furious about his training sessions in Monterey. Newly married, they had just moved into their first base housing at Fort Sam Houston for his position with INSCOM when he received orders for language training. Six months in Monterey, California was a dream come true for Jessica who was already upset that her dream to see the world meant a move to just a few hours away in San Antonio. The problem was that as 19 year olds with very little money, they both needed a job...and Jessica...well Jessica had only just been hired to bartend at one of the most iconic bars in the city, the Menger. 

So she didn't go...and Wyatt had never heard the end of it. 

It wasn't like he had much of a choice...but her anger and his frustration of knowing that his career and ambitions had screwed up things at home had made his time in Monterey....not exactly one that he wanted to remember. 

Monterey, to him, was just the place where he went to learn languages and upset his wife. 

"I used to come down to Monterey all the time during the Summer." Lucy mused as they drove up the steep hill towards the Presidio, "I always liked to watch the taffy being made on the wharf...something about it was just...mesmerizing." She chuckled, "Wouldn't it have been funny if we had bumped into each other then and not even realized that...here, how many years later - we'd be coming here together?"

"I guess..." Wyatt shrugged, not really wanting to get into a discussion of what might have been...particularly since he had been married at the time. Timing just didn't seem to be their strong-suit.

But it wasn't like he was even in Lucy's league anyway. She was miles above him in social status and education...even if they had met years ago and he had been single, he doubted she would have even given him a second glance. And then there was her mother....no way in hell would he ever even come close to meeting the expectations Carol Preston had set for her daughter's future husband. 

So what was the point of discussing hypotheticals? 

With that thought, he drove into the Presidio and took the old familiar path to the Fitness center, every landmark bringing back memories of a time when he had naively thought he had his life all together. Every regret from his failed marriage seemed meet him around every corner as the ghosts of so many missed opportunities to make things better with Jessica presented themselves in the faces of other young recruits who were now marching in formation along the roadside. 

He had been lucky in love once...and he had screwed it up...and guys like him...they didn't get a second chance. 

With a huff, he got out of his Jeep and pulled out Lucy's bag, handing it to her as he pulled his own out of the trunk. "You okay?" Lucy asked in concern, "you've been awfully quiet."

"Yeah." Wyatt assured her, unconvincingly as they made their way towards the locker rooms, "I think I'll be alright once I get a shower." he added with a half smirk in an attempt to ease her fears, "You know what they say about revisting your old watering holes..."

Lucy's eyes widened in understanding as she glanced around the base, "I guess it would be kind of hard coming back to a place where you must have felt kind of trapped. What was the training like?"

"Brutal." Wyatt replied curtly. "Early PT training in the morning, followed by eight hours of language classes and even if I wanted to leave the base, you could only go if you had a pass...and those could easily be taken away if just one asshole in your group slacked off."

"Well," she said with a quirked smile, "How about tonight, I show you the Monterey _I_ know...and then maybe you'll have a little more appreciation for it?" 

"That's a tall order, ma'am" Wyatt replied with a frown, "I endured a year's worth of hell here, you know."

"Well," Lucy replied as she nudged his arm playfully, "we'll just have to make sure we hit all the high points." She tugged at his arm, "C'mon soldier, don't _you_ get all mopey on me now...we're still having fun, remember?"

Wyatt offered her a smile in return, but said nothing more....because inside he knew that appreciating Monterey with Lucy would really just serve to make him hate it all the more. Just as he would never be able to stomach that drive up the coast without thinking of her, Monterey would now hold the added distinction of being the last place he and Lucy had shared...whatever this was...before reality tore them apart forever.

Not that she understood or could ever understand that...because he was _not_ an asshole. 

And what's more...what kind of creep would Lucy make him out to be if she knew that he was practically head over heels for her after only spending a day driving her home to San Francisco? Knowing that she was engaged to someone else? With a determination to keep her at an arm’s length first and foremost in his mind, Wyatt pushed open the door to the men's locker room with a huff, determined to bury away his feelings for Lucy once and for all before he really got in over his head. 

Shaking off his jacket, he was just about to hang it up when his phone slipped out of his pocket and clattered onto the floor. "Dammit" he breathed out as he stooped to retrieve it, immediately turning it over and activating the screen to check for any damages. As the home screen lit up, he noted with confusion that his message tab was opened. Not having sent any texts since Solvang, Wyatt expanded the application to find, much to his surprise, that "he" had sent a text to Lucy...or rather, the "Damsel in Distress" as she had called herself, he remembered with a smile. 

There was no accompanying note or message....just a picture...

Of the two of them standing in the rain together near the Bixby Bridge.

His thumb hovered over the photo, the one she had taken so he would “never forget her.” But it seemed, as he stood there, staring at the photo she had clandestinely sent to herself, that maybe...just maybe...

She didn't want to forget _him_ either. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentines Day! 
> 
> I worked really hard to get this chapter out in time for this holiday (even though the next one focuses more on their "date" in Monterey)...but I hope it will suffice for a Valentines Day fic and a nice cap off to Lyatt week. Mary, I apologize for not doing a specific Valentines Day fic but I hope between this update and the Stranded update from earlier this week, it will suffice....if only there were more time in the day! 
> 
> We're getting very close to the end of this one...I have it projected to be 7 chapters...we'll see if that sticks...it should...but writing can be kind of funny sometimes.
> 
> Having lived in Monterey for a year and half during my own husband's language training there, I am absolutely loving revisting this place through the fic. We actually adored living there, but language training for new recruits is much different than it is for the officers...and as I was talking to my husband about this he was like "Yeah, remember when we were there, they couldn't leave the Presidio without a buddy...even the married ones had to go out with their buddy." We definitely counted our blessings because the military is not created equal...and for the enlisted folks it can be a very strict and confining environment. Monterey and the surrounding area is just beautiful and after 15 years of service in numerous locations, including Hawaii, Monterey remains my favorite duty station. We did SO much while we were there, I always feel like we were there for much longer than we actually were. 
> 
> It's just kind of magical like that....which makes it a perfect setting for this story. 
> 
> There are a few Easter eggs in this chapter for you savvy readers. Carol Preston being an expert on William Randolph Hearst...for obvious (ahem, Rittenhouse) reasons. Wyatt hating sand...because Matt Lanter is also Anakin, and you’ll throughout this fic you’ll get little snippets of the familiar...Wyatt’s speech to Lucy at the end of Stranded makes a small appearance in this chapter as well. 
> 
> I really hope you all enjoyed this update. I am DESPERATELY working hard to get all of these fics finished for you because I start language training next month and will be in class for 3 hours a day...homeschooling, choir my daughter's medical appointments and other community commitments on top of that will make my time be even more limited than it already is....unless of course, my daughter's condition disqualifies us from this next duty assignment..which means, no more language training...but because we're dealing with the military we'll have no idea when that particular decision will be made. The unofficial motto for military spouses is collectively understood as "Hurry up and wait." 
> 
> So we wait. : ) 
> 
> Thank you again for your enduring patience as I slowly plunk through these fics. I wish I could just transplant the contents of my brain onto the screen and have them organize themselves in a semi-coherent way...but alas, these stories don't write themselves.
> 
> Thank you again for reading and those of you who review...thank you. Even if I can't respond (like some guests on fanfiction.net) know that I read and appreciate your comments and I thank you for them from the bottom of my heart. It is sometimes very hard to find the motivation to write, especially when life is so busy, so getting those little messages of encouragement not only serve to lift my spirits when life gets hard, they also inspire me to open up this laptop and keep at it. So thank you for being my cheering section...you have no idea how much you've helped me through some very very low points in these last few weeks especially with all this going on with my daughter and this next assignment. 
> 
> Thanks again and I hope you enjoyed it.


	6. Chapter 6

The rain had stopped…for now. 

Monterey was one of those towns in which the weather could literally change on a dime…sometimes even depending on where you were in the city. As Wyatt stood in the parking lot, for instance, leaning against his Jeep, he could see the old, familiar swirls of afternoon fog creeping slowly off the bay, up through the town, and on up the mountainside like a stealthy ghost. 

The first time he saw it, as a student, it had unnerved him…not because he was scared of a little fog, but because it was eerie as hell. Even the sunniest day on top of the mountain would suddenly turn dark and cold as the swirling mist made its way up the mountainside and settled over the Presidio, leaving the once fog-laden town below, bathed in sunshine. 

As he now stood watching as the thick, white mist of swirling tendrils crept ever closer, he could see, below the fog line, the sun peeking out from behind the gray clouds, swathing all of Monterey proper in sunshine and warmth…while predictably, on the Presidio, the approaching fog brought with it a bitterly cold chill that seemed to reach all the way to his bones. Shivering, he zipped up his jacket and stuck his hands in his coat pocket, unable to shake the feeling that it was more than just a natural phenomenon creeping its way towards him, threatening to snuff out the small bit of happiness he was enjoying. For Wyatt, it was a relentless cloud of doom, purposefully following him, reminding him that it was hopeless to give way to any kind of buoying feeling in regards to Lucy…because _she_ was engaged.

And he was _not_ an asshole.

Despite repeating that mantra to himself repeatedly as he showered and changed into a fresh set of clothes, Wyatt could not deny that after seeing that text, a serious battle was now raging within him. 

He had always been taught to be faithful – it was a lesson first instilled in him by his Grandpa Sherwin and reinforced by his Army training. Even with the piss poor examples set by some of his fellow soldiers and his own father, Wyatt was made to understand and appreciate that fidelity was a mark of strength…a strength of character to be exact…and in the military, that could be the difference between life and death. 

You couldn’t go into battle with someone you didn’t trust…and well, in Delta Force, especially, trust was essential. 

His grandfather had taught him the importance of that every time he told him stories of his exploits with the 101st\- how they were more than just fellow soldiers…they were brothers – united together in a common purpose. So too, his grandfather had taught him, was the same true for marriage. Finding the right partner to see you through life’s many battles, the one who would stand by your side come what may. 

Not that he had a great example of that at home. 

His own father had been a world-class sonofabitch…a womanizing alcoholic who didn’t give a damn who he hurt, just as long as he got “his fun.” His formative years were punctuated with memories of countless women, drifting in and out of his father’s bedroom…most leaving a little more worse for wear than how they arrived, bruised…broken…a little hungover…none of them ever staying longer than a few months at most. 

He didn’t remember much of his mother, she had run off long before he had ever formed a real memory of her…but what he did remember was that she wasn’t happy…and even as a small child, he knew it has been his father’s doing. Before his Grandpa Sherwin had come along to pick up the slack, Wyatt had already determined never to be like his old man…but that resolution became even more resolute upon seeing his grandparents’ example of what a true, loving marriage could and should be. He only hoped he would find it for himself one day. 

And he thought he had. 

It had been almost two years since he had come home from Kandahar early to surprise Jessica…two years since his entire world had come crashing down around him…all because the ring on her finger didn’t mean as much to his wife as it did to him. Yes, he had felt somewhat responsible for that – she was lonely, after all…and he was never home…but _he_ had been faithful…he had loved her the best way he knew how…he had tried, dammit. Hell, even after the awful truth had come out, he tried. He tried to work things out with her, had agreed to counseling and therapy, had turned down several missions to try to make her happy…

And then…that night at the bar… 

He had never been so damn angry in his life. He thought they had been making progress; thought they were getting back on track and then that _asshole_ sent a drink over to their table. Jessica had sworn up and down that there was nothing more going on between them, but he didn’t believe her…he had seen them talking…and that… _that_ was essentially the end of their marriage. 

The trust was gone. 

She moved into the spare room that night…they divorced a few months later…and he…he deployed to Syria to take out his many frustrations over his failed marriage in a war zone. 

He knew going in that that mission was going to be dangerous, he just didn't realize how much until he got there and faced a litany of close shaves...their final mission resulting in the loss of almost his entire team. By the end of all of that hell, he had gained some perspective. He and Jessica had rushed into marriage…they had been kids, really…unable to deal with the stresses that came from being newlyweds who spent more time apart than they spent together. He knew she was unhappy, but had been so focused on his own career that he didn’t see that he was driving that wedge further and further between them every time he took up another training mission or deployment. She had been lonely…vulnerable…and while he didn’t deny that she could’ve and should’ve resisted temptation when it had come calling, his anger was more fully directed towards the asshole who had pursued her in the first place. 

The guy who hadn’t given a damn about fidelity. 

Yet even as he paced the parking lot in silent and desperate contemplation, knowing that Lucy was engaged and essentially off-limits…he could not deny that seeing her text message…that _photo…_ had unintentionally given him something he really, _really_ didn’t need…

Hope. 

Hope for what? He had no idea…because he was _not_ an asshole. 

But the moment Lucy emerged from that locker room, he was seriously doubting – probably for the first time in his life - his ability to resist becoming one. 

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long…” she called as he whirled around at the sound of her voice. 

Standing before him in a black, knee-length dress and cardigan was one freshly dressed and pressed Lucy Preston. Feeling his mouth go a little slack at the sight of her, Wyatt stammered out, “You…you look amazing.”

Smiling back at him sheepishly, Lucy shrugged, “Thanks. I _was_ just going to wear my jeans,” she explained as a blush spread across her cheek, “but the sweater I have…well, it’s the one I wore to Hearst Castle…and it’s too chilly for a tank top…” Shifting uncomfortably, she added, “This is just the dress I wore for my speech in San Diego…it’s…it’s nothing special. I just thought it would be nicer to dress up than dress down if we were going to go exploring. I really didn’t want to be in that old sweatshirt from the gift shop.”

Wyatt couldn’t argue with her logic there. While he personally thought she looked adorable in that over-sized sweatshirt, he had zero-complaints about the outfit she was currently donning. While it was in no way something one would deem as overtly sexy…it definitely complimented her figure which was absolutely not a problem for Wyatt…until he remembered that yes, it was…because he was _not_ an asshole. 

Wyatt knew that he was positively gaping at her now, but he couldn’t help it – she really did look incredible…which was more than he could say for himself. Chancing a quick glance down at his own clothes - a Henley shirt and a dusty old pair of jeans, he couldn’t help but feel slightly underdressed, “I…um…feel like maybe I should change…”

“Oh no, no…you look fine.” Lucy stammered, looking down at her own dress again, “I…I should have tried to figure something else out – I can…I can go change.” she offered as she turned to go back into the locker room, but Wyatt stopped her. 

“No…Lucy…it’s fine.” he assured her with a nod, “I mean, it’s not really a big deal. We’re just” he swallowed hard before continuing, “hanging out…right?”

Lucy stared back at him, her face flushing slightly before she quickly nodded and agreed, “Right.” 

They stood together awkwardly for a few moments before Wyatt, realizing that he was staring at her again, startled to attention and moved to open the passenger side door for her, taking her bag as she thanked him and slid into the Jeep. The moment he closed the door behind her, however he breathed out a curse, kicking himself for agreeing to what, for all outward appearances, looked like a date. What the hell had he been thinking? He should have just offered to pick up some fast food in a drive-thru somewhere and hightailed it the rest of the way to San Francisco – because this?

This was just playing with fire. 

Still, even as he contemplated the troubling optics of taking an engaged, attractive woman out to dinner…he also couldn’t help but remember that this wasn’t something new. She had paid for his dinner the night before, he had bought her breakfast that morning…hell, they even slept in the same bed…wall of Jericho or not…he had _slept_ next to her. So really…what was so different about tonight?

The fact that she had sent herself that picture? 

So what?

Maybe she just liked to scrapbook. 

Determined to shake off whatever feelings he was having for Lucy once and for all, Wyatt slid in behind the wheel, not even offering her a sideways glance as he asked, “Where to, ma’am?”

“Well,” Lucy hummed, “Since it’s only 2:30, we can start with downtown and work our way down to Cannery Row…and then, maybe find someplace for dinner? It doesn’t have to be anyplace fancy.” Lucy added, coloring slightly, “I just...there’s a lot of great places to choose from, I mean…that aren’t…ya know…”

Taking comfort in the fact that their dinner wasn’t expected to be at some romantic bayside bistro, Wyatt resigned himself to follow her lead. After all, _she_ was the one who was engaged…and _she_ was the one who had suggested stopping in Monterey for dinner…had even offered to pay for his meal as a thank you…and well, he could hardly be considered an asshole for agreeing to humor her, could he? Shrugging, Wyatt replied, “Whatever you say. So what, should we just park at the wharf and walk around town?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Lucy said with a broad smile as he pulled out of the parking lot. 

As they made their way down through the fog bank and into the town below, the scene around them went from chilly and damp to warm and breezy in just a matter of a few blocks, something Wyatt couldn’t help but scoff at. “Crazy weather.”

“You don’t like the fog?” Lucy asked with a quirked brow, “You do realize that San Francisco is pretty much the same as Monterey this time of year?”

“Yeah, I know.” Wyatt grumbled, “But who says I’m gonna stick around in San Francisco?”

“What, riding cable cars and visiting the art scene isn’t your thing?” she teased as Wyatt adamantly shook his head. “You should definitely check out the wharf though,” she offered, “there’s so much to do there…it can be a bit of a tourist trap in some places, but you can’t go to San Francisco without at least seeing it. Then there’s Alcatraz and Chinatown, if you like chocolate there’s Ghiradelli…”

Wyatt wanted to make a quip about Lucy just hanging around and being his tour guide, but remembering that once they got to San Francisco she would be back with her fiancé, he thought better of it. Instead he shrugged shrugged and said, “I don’t know…I thought I might drive on up to Yosemite or something…do some hiking.”

“Yosemite? You realize that’s over 3 hours away from San Francisco, right?” Lucy asked incredulously, before adding with a meaningful nod, “If you like hiking, there’s always Muir Woods. It’s not very fall from San Francisco at all…and it’s just beautiful with all the Redwoods.”

“Oh yeah,” Wyatt mused with a nod, “that’s where they filmed _Return of the Jedi_ , right?” he asked as he parked along Del Monte Avenue.

Lucy stared back at him blankly, “I…I have no idea…is that from a movie or something?”

“Wow.” Wyatt breathed out incredulously, “How the hell do you not know _Star Wars_?” He shook his head at her as a teasing smile pulled at his lips, “And you said I was bad…” he scoffed in playful disgust.

Getting out of the Jeep, Lucy rolled her eyes, “Fine…I’m not up on science fiction movies…I take it you’re a _Star Wars_ fan, then?”

“They’re okay.” Wyatt replied with a shrug, completely failing in his attempt to play it cool in front of a highly amused Lucy. “What?” he asked as she continued to laugh at him. 

“You…trying to act like you aren’t a big sci-fi nerd.” she said with a beaming smile, “I don’t think I would have ever pegged you for the type.”

“ _Star Wars_ is _not_ nerdy.” Wyatt defended as Lucy barked out a triumphant laugh, “It’s not!” he protested passionately, “it’s like a…like a…oh come on,” Wyatt stated as Lucy continued to laugh at him, “how is liking _Star Wars_ any different than you liking your old black and white movies?”

“Maybe because mine are Oscar worthy?” she quipped back with a shrug. 

“ _Star Wars_ is Oscar-worthy.” he argued as Lucy scoffed in disbelief, “It is! Look,” he demanded as he pulled out his phone and began typing away furiously, “check it out, Best Picture nominee, Best Director nominee….oh and look _winner_ of 7 Oscars.” he put his phone away with a meaningful nod, “you can apologize any time you like, ma’am.”

“Fine…I’m sorry. I didn’t realize _Star Wars_ meant so much to you… _or….”_ she added as Wyatt shot her a sardonic glare, _“_ …that it had achieved such high cinematic accolades. I guess…maybe I should give it a try before giving you such a hard time…”

“Maybe you should” Wyatt nodded emphatically. 

“Mmm…but if I give _Star Wars_ a chance, then maybe _you_ should give one of those “old black and white movies” a whirl.” she added with a quirked brow, pointing to the Golden State Theatre across the street, “Looks like there’s a special screening of _The Philadelphia Story_ going on this afternoon. How about it?”

Wyatt groaned as he looked at his watch and back up at the marquee, “It says here it started almost an hour ago…”

“That’s okay,” Lucy dismissed as she tugged him by the arm and ran across the street, “I’ll fill you in.” With more excitement than Wyatt thought was appropriate for any movie, she dragged him to the ticket booth and explained breathlessly, “Basically, you have this rich socialite who is about to get married, but her ex-husband has come to crash the wedding and he brings this seedy reporter who…

“Uh-huh…let me guess,” Wyatt sighed as she handed him his ticket stub, “she ends up marrying the seedy reporter instead.”

Smirking, Lucy pulled open the theatre door and teased, “You’ll just have to wait and see.” Wyatt had planned on retorting with some sarcastic remark about the predictability of these old films but the moment they stepped into the lobby, he was rendered nearly speechless. He had heard about old movie theatres, but he had never been in one…not until today, anyway…something Lucy apparently noticed as she explained in a hushed whisper while they made their way upstairs to the balcony, “If you think this is amazing, just wait until you get inside….it was designed to look like an open air Castillian ampitheatre.”

He had no idea what the hell that even meant, but as they stepped into the dimly lit theatre, no explanation was necessary. The ceiling was painted and backlit to look like the night sky, while the screen itself was set inside an ornate Spanish-style arch with towers that extended all the way to the ceiling. It really did seem as if they were in some sort of outdoor open-air theatre…except instead of cold stone benches, there were lush, red velvet chairs.

Even William Randolph Hearst’s private theatre looked nothing like this. 

“This place was built in 1926” Lucy explained in a hushed voice as they took their seats, “Movie palaces were built mainly by the studios to make every day Americans feel like royalty. During the Great Depression, especially, they were extremely popular – helped people escape from the harsh reality of their daily lives.” Lucy sighed as she rubbed her hand along the velvet armrests, “They don’t make them like this anymore.”

“That’s for damn sure.” Wyatt responded, still admiring the place – hardly caring about the movie already playing on the screen, until he noticed with a smile that Lucy was leaning forward with her arms on the balcony rail in front of her, watching it play out with rapt attention. Tearing his eyes away from her and onto the movie, he settled in his seat, wholly convinced that he would spend the next hour bored to tears. He found to his utmost surprise, however…that he liked it. 

It was funny and clever…and while he occasionally had to lean over to Lucy to ask who someone was and why there were now three guys looking to marry Katherine Hepburn…he found that he was pretty well entertained by the time the credits began to roll. Though he was not about to admit it to Lucy who was currently tugging on his sleeve as they exited the theatre, hissing at him excitedly, “So…what did you think? Did you like it? You liked it, didn’t you? I saw you laughing, Wyatt, I _know_ you thought it was funny.”

“It was _alright._ ” Wyatt shrugged as off-handedly as he could. “It’s no James Bond…or _Star Wars_ …but okay,” he conceded at her admonishing glare, “I thought the whole pool thing was pretty funny.”

“Oh that’s one of my favorite scenes.” Lucy agreed. “I just love Jimmy Stewart…and Cary Grant…and ugh…Katherine Hepburn…do you know she was considered box office poison until this movie?”

“Why?”

Lucy shrugged, “She had a slump in Hollywood…as most actors do. All of her movies just seemed to tank, but this movie turned everything around for her. You know she was actually the mastermind behind her comeback?” Lucy continued, “Back then, the movie studios basically owned the stars. Told them what movies they could make, how to wear their hair, who they could even date…they really didn’t have a lot of freedom. But Katherine Hepburn, she challenged it all.” Lucy announced triumphantly, “She bought out her contracts and then she bought the film rights for _The Philadelphia Story_ , then turned around and sold them on the condition that _she_ would be the star.”

“Sounds like she made a pretty good bet on herself.” Wyatt replied with a shrug. 

“Yes, and in a time when women weren’t…well you know…considered power players.” Lucy sighed, “It’s hard not to admire someone like that. A woman who sort of led the charge? Someone who took control of her own life and destiny” she added, before continuing quietly, “Someone who refused to be bullied into submission by...anyone or anything.”

Wyatt cast an uneasy glance towards Lucy who was now biting her lip, apparently lost in thought. Given everything she had told him about her relationship with her mother, he imagined her admiration for Katherine Hepburn stemmed less from her rebooting her movie career and more from the fact that she asserted her independence from a bunch of micro-managing assholes. For Lucy, someone who had been told what to do her entire life, a story like Katherine Hepburn’s certainly would be inspiring. Realizing this, Wyatt asked with a meaningful nod, “I thought you said those old studios were great because of all those fancy movie palaces they built? Now they’re bullies?” 

“Well,” Lucy replied, coloring a bit, “I can criticize the way they treated their employees and still admire the fact that they brought a bit of drama and elegance into the lives of everyday people, can’t I? What are movies, after all, but an escape from the mundane, right?” She smiled, “It was a big deal…to go to the movies back then. The women dressed up in their finest, wore hats and gloves – it was like going to the opera…not at all like how it is today.

“And you think that way is better?” Wyatt asked incredulously.

“Well, I just think it would have been nice to…what?” Lucy asked as Wyatt chuckled at her.

“Nothing.” he replied with a grin, “It’s just this is the second time today you’ve talked about seeing some place in it’s heyday.” Wyatt shrugged, “What’s wrong with the here and now?”

“Well, nothing’s wrong with it.” Lucy replied defensively, “It’s just that…I don’t know…there was so much more romance and style back then. 

“There’s not now?”

“No.” Lucy said with a shake of her head, “Not like it was. I mean, you saw what it looked like in there…we have megaplexes and shopping malls…they had quaint stores and movie palaces.”

“Yeah,” Wyatt shrugged, “but…there was only one screen…”

Lucy rolled her eyes, “But that was the beauty of it.” she explained, “They didn’t have all of this instant gratification that we have nowadays. They had to wait and well, it just made the experience all the more special.”

“So for you…these older movies are like…what?” Wyatt asked, “A chance to live in the past for a little bit?”

“I suppose.” Lucy replied with a musing frown, “Huh…I never really thought of it that way before. But I guess you’re right…I guess it is my way of escaping the modern world for the glitz and glamour of say…the 1940s.”

“Glitz and glamour, huh?” Wyatt chuckled, “When I think of the 40s, I think - World War II, Hitler, Pearl Harbor…you know…that kind of stuff.”

“Well, yes of course there were the not so glamorous things,” Lucy countered meaningfully, “But…I don’t know…the hair, the fashion,” Wyatt rolled his eyes and shook his head as Lucy continued with a musing smile, “When I was a little girl, I would roll my hair like they did back then and pretend I was one of The Andrews Sisters, singing at some USO show or touring the world with Bing Crosby.” She laughed at the memory as she added, “My mother would get so angry to find me with her best rollers all stuck in at odd angles in my hair. What?” she asked, turning to a chuckling Wyatt, “You never pretended you could go back in time and be somebody else? Meet someone famous? Do something you could never do now?”

“Like what?”

“Well, I don’t know…take a trip on the Hindenburg? Or…or…maybe a great steamship, like the Titanic? Or maybe meet some great military hero like, Eisenhower, or Ulysses S. Grant?”

“Must be a history professor thing” Wyatt teased. 

“Oh come on,” Lucy urged, “ _Everybody_ does it. There’s always _some_ person they want to meet or _some_ event they wished they could see…”

“If you say so, ma’am.”

“I _know_ so.” Lucy replied determinedly, “Come on, if there was one time in the past that you could travel to, just for a little while…when would it be?”

“If I _had_ to pick?” Wyatt asked with a sigh, “I don’t know…I guess the 50s.” At her questioning glance he added with a shrug, “The cars were cool.”

“The cars? Really?” Lucy asked with an incredulous smile, “So you have a thing for old hot rods?”

“If you want to call it that…I guess so, yeah.” Wyatt responded with a smile of his own. “What?” he asked as Lucy continued to smile broadly. 

“Nothing.” she replied with a shake of her head, still smiling. “It’s just very _Rebel Without a Cause…_ not that _you_ would know that…since you don’t watch old movies.” she added, with a teasing nudge of her arm. They continued to meander their way down the street, making their way towards Cannery Row when Lucy turned to Wyatt and asked, “So…what got you interested in old cars…did your grandfather own one, or…?”

“Ha! I wish.” Wyatt responded with a thoughtful frown, before continuing, “You know how I told you that I grew up learning how to fix cars and stuff? Well, I spent a lot of time in my dad’s garage and he had all these posters in there of all of these old famous racecar drivers. Lee Petty, Wendell Scott, Bill Rexford, Fireball Roberts…” Wyatt shrugged, “I guess you could say I spent more time with them than I did my old man.”

“So, they were kind of like…role models for you?”

“I guess so.” Wyatt said with a frown, “Just…I don’t know, seeing their posters all the time made me want to learn more about them, you know? And then I got to looking at their cars…” Wyatt sighed at the memory, “They were the coolest things I ever saw. I always thought that maybe someday…when I’m not you know - saving the world or picking up strange women from the side of the road,” he added with a teasing smirk, “that I’d buy one, fix it up real nice…and just drive it til the wheels fell off.”

“Hmmm.” Lucy said with a satisfied smirk, “Huh…well that’s…very interesting.”

“What’s interesting?” Wyatt asked, eyeing her suspiciously. “You think it’s stupid, don’t you?”

“Wha? No.” Lucy assured him, “No…I just…I’m just fascinated by all of this stuff I’m learning about you, _Wyatt Logan_.”

“Oh yeah? And what stuff is that, ma’am?”

“The fact that you’re such a hard-core Star Wars fan,” Lucy readily replied with a grin, “and now, you’re gushing about classic Nascar?” She nudged him in the arm, “Who’s the nerd, now?”

“Okay, _professor_ …” Wyatt replied with an eye roll, just as they crossed into the historic cannery district. “I bet you’re just dying to tell me some crazy backstory about some building or lamp post along here, right?” 

“Well, since you asked…” Lucy began with a teasing smile, “You know this wasn’t known as Cannery Row until after a majority of the canneries closed down? Lucy nodded as she explained, “It was renamed in honor of John Steinbeck and his book called…”

“Let me guess,” said Wyatt with a smirk, “ _Cannery Row_?” Lucy nodded. “So, what happened?” Wyatt asked as he looked at the shop lined street, “If this place was known for its canneries…”

“Over-fishing.” Lucy replied with a shrug, “The whole thing sort of collapsed in the mid-50s and the last cannery closed sometime in the late 70s. Now it’s just a nod to nostalgia.” she said as she pointed out old cannery signs painted on some of the older buildings. 

“I’m guessing this is one place you wouldn’t want to see in its heyday?” Wyatt asked with a teasing smile, “I mean…all of those dead fish?”

“No.” Lucy laughed, “I definitely prefer this version of Cannery Row…I’m sure it smells loads better than it did before. But you can still see glimpses of how it used to be,” she pointed to a dark warehouse across the street, “That’s the old Pacific Biological Laboratories building…the lab is actually still preserved inside. And the man who ran it actually was the inspiration for several characters in a few of John Steinbeck’s books. Ed Ricketts,” she explained with a nod of her head, “they had been friends and had planned to go on an expedition together when he was tragically killed just up the street there.” Lucy said, pointing out where the was a juncture of train tracks in the road. "It had a big impact on John Steinbeck, who said it was like he had lost a piece of himself. He had been such a source of inspiration and knowledge for him."

"Makes sense." Wyatt nodded, "To lose someone who you looked up to...admired...had to be tough."

"Yeah, but his legacy still exists in all of this." Lucy replied pointing to the end of the street, "The marine research laboratories here are among the best in the world...and so is the aquarium. And if we go into the aquarium, you can see one of the old steam boilers the canneries used.”

“That’s kind of weird, isn’t it?” Wyatt asked, “Having an old boiler where they used to _can_ fish in an _aquarium_?”

“The aquarium,” Lucy explained with a roll of her eyes, “is _in_ an old cannery – the Hovden Cannery…and laugh all you want - it _is_ considered one of the best ones in the world.” 

“Not if it’s been closed for…”

“Not canneries, Wyatt.” Lucy breathed out in exasperation, “Aquariums. The Monterey Bay Aquarium may not be very big, but the research they do…and their exhibits…well, they’re just…”

‘World-class?” Wyatt asked, turning toward her with a raised eyebrow, but Lucy wasn’t looking at him anymore…she was looking at her phone and had an unmistakable frown on her face. “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked in concern.

“My…my mother.” Lucy said with a shake of her head, attempting but failing to look nonchalant, “She’s asking me to meet her at Stanford…so it’ll be Palo Alto…not San Francisco.” With a forced smile on her face, she added, “But hey, that’s good for you, right? It’s…closer.”

“Yeah.” Wyatt said quietly, feeling the disappointment more than he knew he probably should. 

“So, how about it?” Lucy said with a sigh as she tucked her phone away, “Wanna see some fish?”

‘We can’t.” Wyatt said, pointing to the door, “It closes in 10 minutes.”

“Oh.” Lucy muttered, looking more disappointed than ever, “Okay, well…I guess we could…” she bit her lip in thought, looking almost desperate to find something else that they could do, before she narrowed her eyes and asked, “Where’s that burger place you wanted to go to?”

“We passed it a little while back,” Wyatt responded, “it’s not that far…about two blocks down.”

“Alright,” Lucy sighed, pulling her phone back out of her purse, “how about you go and grab us some burgers to go and I’ll meet you there in just a little bit?”

“To go?” Wyatt asked in concern, his disappointment mounting, “You alright?”

“Hmmm?” Lucy asked absent-mindedly, still looking at her phone, “Yeah, I’m fine…I’m just…I’ll meet you in a little bit, okay? Order me whatever you’re having.”

“O…okay.” Wyatt replied in confusion as Lucy quickly turned on her heel and stalked off in the opposite direction. He watched her for a little while, her brow furrowed in concentration as she tapped on her phone, before finally sighing and pressing it to her ear. He wasn’t sure what all was in that text message, but whatever it was had effectively burst the bubble they had been living in since he picked her up from the side of the highway the day before. Lucy was no longer interested in showing him the Monterey she knew…her request for dinner to go was enough evidence of that…and now, she was busily pacing up and down the street talking on the phone with whom Wyatt could only suppose to be her fiancé from the beaming smile she was currently sporting.

Wyatt did his best to curb the overwhelming feeling of disappointment that descended on him as he turned away from her and began stalking towards the diner. He knew this was coming, after all. The arrangement was to take Lucy… _engaged_ Lucy to San Francisco. That’s it. All of these detours and pit stops weren’t part of the deal. 

But then again, neither was falling for Lucy. 

It was his own damn fault. How many times had he told himself to keep her at an arm’s distance? To not be an asshole? And yet…he couldn’t help himself. He liked spending time with her. She was smart, funny…and even though they came from completely different backgrounds, something just _worked._ He couldn’t explain it, especially since he absolutely did not believe in any of that love at first sight nonsense. Hell, he thought he and Jessica were meant to be…and look where it got him. But something about Lucy was…different.

It was almost like he had known her all of his life. 

Of course, that was ridiculous – they weren’t even from the same social circles – she was miles above him in status and education, but…there was just something comfortable and familiar about her – some kind of strange connection he had never felt with anyone else before – including Jessica. 

And that’s why the idea of losing her, absolutely gutted him. 

But he was going to have to, wasn’t he? She belonged to someone else…that giant ring on her finger was evidence enough of that. Besides, how could he expect her to even consider giving all of that up for some guy she had met on the side of the damn road just 24 hours before?

It was crazy. He knew it was crazy…and so, once again he inwardly berated himself for getting so damn carried away. While he would have preferred to spend as much time as possible with her before saying goodbye, he knew that this was ultimately for the best. Dinner on the road and in less than two hours she would be out of his life for good…and he would just have to find some way to move on. 

It had been thirty minutes since he had left Lucy alone on the sidewalk and now, with burgers and drinks in hand, Wyatt made his way out of the diner wondering why she hadn’t met him yet as she had promised she would. He was just getting ready to pull out his phone to give her a call when her voice called out to him from across the street. “Need a ride, soldier?”

Looking up, Wyatt saw to his utmost amazement, Lucy leaning against the most beautiful 1955 Chevy Corvette convertible he had ever seen. Slowly making his way towards her, he gasped in astonishment, “Where the hell did you pick this up?”

Dangling the keys in front of him with a broad smile, she teased “What, this old thing?” She chuckled as she dropped the keys into the palm of his hand, “I rented it for a couple of hours.” When Wyatt gaped at her in confusion she explained, “It’s a company, just up the street here,” she said with a nod, “they rent out classic cars like this for the afternoon, day…whatever so that people can drive the coast “in style”.”

“So this is what you were…Lucy…” Wyatt began, too dumbfounded to say much else. This was his dream car…and she had rented it. For him.

“Why?” he asked, completely astonished.

“Because I wanted to say thank you.” she said solemnly. “You rescued me from the side of the road, you put up with all of my silly requests and pit stops…and besides,” she said as she added with a sigh, “you gave me the chance to live out my own dream – I wanted to give you a chance to live out yours…well…at least for a couple of hours.”

“Lucy,” Wyatt breathed out in disbelief, “this…this is too much.”

“No, it’s not Wyatt.” she maintained with a shake of her head. “When you were talking about how much you have always wanted to get behind the wheel of a car like this, you looked… _really_ happy. After everything you told me about why you came up here…it was the least I could do, not just because I want to thank you for everything you did for me…but because…I _want_ you to be happy, Wyatt. You deserve that…you deserve this.”

Wyatt sighed as he dropped his gaze from Lucy’s face to the keys now laying in the palm of his hand, completely overwhelmed by her thoughtfulness. “Lucy…” he began, but the words just wouldn’t come. Never in his life had anyone done anything like this for him…not outside of his Grandpa Sherwin, anyway.

And that’s why it affected him so much. 

He knew it was just delaying the inevitable…that in just a few short hours, he and Lucy would have to say goodbye. But he also knew that he was not prepared to say goodbye just yet…he needed more time with her…and while in the back of his mind he knew that was inching him very close to being an asshole, he found he just didn’t give a damn. Right now, Lucy wanted to him to be happy and well, he was happiest when he was with her. 

Smirking, Wyatt popped open her car door, “Well,” he sighed “where to, ma’am?” 

Lucy beamed before stepping towards the open door, musing, “I thought _maybe_ we could have a nice picnic dinner at Asilomar and then hit up 17-mile drive.” She shrugged, “And if we get there in time, catch the sunset at Pebble Beach?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Wyatt replied, absolutely beaming as he shut the door behind her. Racing towards the other side of the car, Wyatt slid in behind the wheel, breathing out a sigh of contentment as he leaned back in the seat and gripped the steering wheel, “Oh wow…this is…this is incredible…that’s…that’s the original Wonderbar Radio.”

“Mmm…I can leave the two of you alone, if you want.” Lucy teased. 

“I still can’t believe you did this.” Wyatt chuckled as he started the car, groaning again when the engine came alive with a roar. “Oh man…that is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard…just _listen_ to it.”

Lucy stifled a laugh beside him, clearly enjoying seeing Wyatt look and act like a kid in a candy store. “Okay, well Wyatt…” she announced, desperately trying to keep from giggling, “we only have four hours with this car, so if you want to drive it, you should probably drive it… _before_ I have to give it back.”

Not needing anymore convincing, Wyatt shifted the car into gear and quirked his lip before turning to her and replying with a broad smile, “Yes, ma’am.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, I had planned for this chapter to be the penultimate one....but it turned out to be longer than I had anticipated...which means, we will have two more chapters after this one before this fic ends. (maybe a very short epilogue....but I may add that epilogue at the end of the last chapter...we'll see - just depends on the length of that last chapter.)
> 
> This whole fic is ALMOST completely written out on my end, save a few gaps in the narrative...I've been hitting this one hard in an effort to finish it up so I can focus on the other two remaining fics I have. I'm about to start language training for our next assignment (which is still in limbo) so my free time will be even more limited...which is why I'm working REALLY hard on trying to finish these ASAP. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this update. I wanted to give Wyatt a chance to sort of live out what I imagine to be one of his fantasies...a little nod to Darlington : ) especially since Lucy got to sing on stage in front of an audience earlier - before we pressed on to San Francisco. Monterey actually does have a couple of businesses that rent out these classic vehicles for folks to rent for a few hours or for the whole day. When we would bike around 17 mile drive, you'd always see them and I always thought they were SO neat. So naturally, when I started planning this fic, I knew I had to get Wyatt behind the wheel of one...just for a little bit. 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading....and I'll hopefully have the next update for this one available SOON.


	7. Chapter 7

On a hot and dusty West Texas day, fifteen-year old Wyatt Logan had finally had his fill. 

Despite having grown up with the deeply rooted understanding of having and showing respect for his elders, he also knew that no amount of “yes, sir’s” or “no, sir’s” could erase the fact that his father was a no account, good for nothing sonofabitch. Drunk most nights with a violent streak a mile wide, Wyatt had spent much of his youth dodging his old man’s fist and any number of empty beer bottles that were lobbed in his direction. 

But that wasn’t even the worst of it. 

Whenever Wyatt would step out of line, his old man would throw him into the back of his 1989 Pontiac Trans-Am, drive him off into the middle of nowhere and force him to fix whatever problem that clunker happened to be having that week. As a result, he got very good at fixing cars and understanding what made them tick. Hell, he knew that particular car like the back of his hand…and he hated every nut, every bolt…every rusty inch of that hunk of junk. 

Maybe it was because his father seemed to show more love towards that damn car than he did his own son, maybe it was because he had spent countless hours of his youth laboring over that engine instead of playing football with his friends…maybe it a little bit of both, but when his dad came home in a piss ass mood that hot, July day and landed a well-placed blow to Wyatt’s jaw, there was only one thing going through his mind. 

Revenge. 

Wiping the trickle of blood from his mouth, Wyatt stared daggers after his father who staggered his way into their run-down old shack of a house and collapsed onto the sofa, beer bottle still firmly in hand. In that moment, he saw his life for what it was…a dead end. As long as he lived under his father’s tyrannical hand, he was going to be headed nowhere and fast…everybody said so – his teachers, his principal, other kids at school…they all had told him the same thing, “You’re gonna end up just like your daddy.” Well, not if Wyatt could help it he wouldn’t. He was tired of sitting back and taking all the crap his father threw in his direction, tired of fixing up old rusty car engines, tired of tiptoeing around the house when his father had a damn hangover…and he didn’t want to wait three more years to earn his freedom…he wanted the hell out now.

And if he was going, he wasn’t going alone. 

Snatching the keys to that old Trans-Am from off the porch, Wyatt raced down their dusty drive-way to the garage and threw open the doors with a grunt. He didn’t have a license but he really didn’t give a damn. He was going to take the one thing his father loved most in the world and get the hell away from his dead-end life. 

In hindsight, he probably should have just called up his Grandpa Sherwin. 

Reckless and hot-headed as he was, however, he jammed the keys into the ignition and took off, the wheels of that Trans-Am kicking up a cloud of dust in its wake as he peeled out of his drive-way and turned onto the old two-lane highway that led out of town. He had no idea where he was going, he just knew he wanted to be far away from wherever his dad was.

The thrill he felt speeding down that duty West Texas highway was something he would never forget…particularly when the light from the Highway Patrol car flashed in his rear view. No license, underage, and definitely without insurance, Wyatt Logan knew he was pretty much screwed, so he decided… _what the hell?_ Slamming the pedal to the metal, he veered off the road, down an old dirt path towards a locally well-known and sought-after fishing and swimming hole. He had no damn idea what he was going to do when he got there, but as the lake inched ever closer and another patrol car joined the fray, he did what any wild and completely out of hand teenager would do….

He jumped. 

Flinging open the car door, Wyatt rolled right out of that rusty old Trans Am and watched as it flew off the rickety old dock and landed right in the middle of the damn lake, taking ten years of blood, sweat…and plenty of tears with it. He wasn’t sorry…not even a little bit…not even when he was dusted off and placed in the back of the patrol car with a sure-fire promise of an ass-whooping ahead waiting for him back at the house. 

But that didn’t come. 

Instead, he was taken to the station where he was met by none other than his Grandpa Sherwin who, upon entering, observed him carefully over the top of his spectacles, his dusty old cowboy hat pushed back away from his forehead as he carefully wiped his brow with his handkerchief. 

Grandpa Sherwin was more than just Wyatt’s grandfather…he was his hero. Disappointing him had always been his biggest fear; he always strove to make him proud, to follow in his footsteps…but somehow Wyatt didn’t believe that his Grandpa had come to the police station to slap him on the back for a job well done. He felt an immediate sense of trepidation as he slowly made his way towards the man he admired more than anyone else in the world, waiting for the proverbial axe to fall. 

But that didn’t happen either. 

Instead, the old man considered Wyatt with a slight smirk and sighed, “Well son, are you hurt?”

“No, sir.” Wyatt replied gruffly, not able to meet his grandfather’s penetrating gaze. 

“I don’t know about that.” His grandfather sagely replied as he took Wyatt gently by the jaw and assessed the bruise forming along his split lip, “I imagine that stings a bit, don’t it?”

“No, sir.” Wyatt replied again, still unable to look at his grandfather’s face. 

The old man said nothing for a while, waiting, it seemed, for Wyatt to say something more. When he didn’t, Grandpa Sherwin crouched down so that he could look Wyatt right in the eye as he said, “I wasn’t talking about your lip, boy.” Sighing heavily, he patted Wyatt on the arm and nodded, “There’s worse things than a busted lip and a water-logged car. C’mon,” he added, groaning as he got back on his feet, “let’s get you home.”

Wordlessly, Wyatt followed after his grandfather, the exhilaration and thrill he had felt earlier, dissipating in the wake of the realization that it was all for nothing. He was going back home to his drunk and abusive father…undoubtedly to spend every day of the next few years living out the consequences of his reckless and hotheaded act of defiance. He was just wiping away stray, angry tears when his grandfather tossed him the keys to his 1977 Ford pickup, with a smirk, “It’s a long drive to Odessa…you think you’re up for it?” 

Wyatt stared back at his grandfather, disbelieving. “Wha…?”

“Did you really think I came all this way to drop you back off at your daddy’s just to have you run off again? I thought you were supposed to be smart, boy?” Grandpa Sherwin said with a shake of his head. Still stunned by the turn of events, Wyatt stared after his grandfather as he opened the door to the truck, “Don’t tell me you want to go back there?” he asked finally when Wyatt still hadn’t moved. 

“No, sir.” Wyatt said, a smile spreading on his face.

“Alright, then…best get in the truck now then since the coast is clear.” He said, looking over his shoulder towards the Sheriff’s office, “I don’t think old Herb will take too kindly to seeing you drive off with no license after all the excitement you gave him this afternoon.”

“You’re really taking me home with you?” Wyatt asked, still disbelieving. 

“I’m not taking you anywhere.” Grandpa Sherwin said matter of factly, “You’re taking yourself…aren’t you?” he asked Wyatt meaningfully. 

“I suppose so…”

“You suppose?” Grandpa Sherwin asked with raised eyebrows, “Well, son…you got to be sure. I thought you’d done made up your mind when I heard that you had taken off with your daddy’s car. So, what is it son?” he asked him with a serious nod of his head, “Are you ready to go somewhere?”

Understanding that his grandfather wasn’t asking him just about his current living situation, Wyatt suddenly saw nothing but the open road before him, full of possibilities and opportunities he never dreamed of, beaten down as he had been for years by his father. Gripping the keys in his hand, he nodded at his grandfather with grim determination, “Yes, sir.”

“Well, alright then.” his Grandpa Sherwin said with a smile as he slammed his door shut, “I suggest you hop on in.” Not needing to be asked twice, Wyatt eagerly slid in behind the wheel of his grandfather’s truck, his hands shaking slightly as he put the keys in the ignition, “Just stay clear of the lake, son,” his Grandpa Sherwin said with a smile as he leaned back in the seat and dropped his hat over his eyes, “I may not love this old truck the way your daddy loved that fancy car of his, but I’m still partial to it…and I’d sure hate to see it go.”

“Yes, sir.” Wyatt said with a broad grin as he put the truck into gear and eased out of the parking lot. 

As he turned onto the dusty two-lane highway, Wyatt was nearly overcome with an exhilaration the likes of which he had never known. Stealing his dad’s car? Driving into that lake? Neither one could measure up to this. This was him taking control of his own life…his grandpa, he realized, hadn’t come to save him…not really. He had come to offer him a chance, but it was up to Wyatt to make the most of it…and well, he was pretty damn sure he was going to do everything he could to make sure that happened.

For Wyatt, driving away from a life filled with abuse, torment, and rejection had been the most rousing and thrilling moment of his life…but this? 

This was a close second. 

Sitting behind the wheel of that ’55 Corvette with Lucy chatting idly at his side while they sped along the twisting and winding roads that made up 17-mile drive was like living out some kind of crazy dream…crazy because he had never believed this was something he would ever really do. He had been so career focused his whole life, had always had his plans and vacations interrupted by the next mission, the next assignment, the next training…and then with all the problems he had at home with Jessica…there had never been time to just relax and do something he really enjoyed…just for the hell of it. Sure, he had always thought that maybe, someday he might fix up an old car and drive it around…but those somedays always seemed just out of his reach. 

Until today. 

As they had eaten their dinner, perched on the rocks along Asilomar Beach, watching the waves crash along the shoreline, Wyatt couldn’t help but think how damn lucky he had been to find Lucy on the side of that highway…even as he pretended not to notice every time she stole a few of his French fries. After everything had fallen apart with Jessica, he had decided relationships were just too much trouble. It had been a hard pill to swallow…signing those divorce papers; he felt like that chance he had been given by his Grandpa Sherwin all those years before was slowly unraveling at the seams. He had tried so damn hard to be every bit of the man his grandfather was…a decorated soldier, a committed family man, loyal, honest…but, it had seemed, he just couldn’t quite live up. 

He had hoped to salvage at least a friendship with Jessica, but after yesterday morning, he didn’t even think that was possible. They strain and bitterness between them was more apparent than ever. So, frustrated, angry…and convinced more than ever that he just wasn’t lucky enough to find the kind of love his grandparents had, he had sped away from San Diego fully prepared to spend a hell of a lot of time thinking over his failed marriage on the nearly eight hour drive to San Francisco. He never dreamed then, that the woman who had caused him even more frustration and grief as he tried to make his escape, would turn out to be just the breath of fresh air that he needed. 

Instead, of ruminating over the failure of his marriage, he had been having the time of his life. Lucy may have been a complete stranger but they seemed to share a weird kind of understanding with one another…even though, on paper, they couldn’t be more different. While he was sure Lucy’s situation was nothing like his had been with his father, he recognized the same insecurities and feelings of inadequacy in her that he had felt as a kid…hell, that he still felt at times as an adult. The difference for him was that his grandfather had encouraged him to carve his own path, while Lucy’s mother seemed hell-bent on mapping hers out for her.

With the sun sinking into the vast endlessness of the Pacific Ocean, casting fiery streaks across the sky and sea, Wyatt sped along 17-mile drive, thinking of nothing but savoring the last few hours he had left with the woman who had made him forget, at least for a little while, the troubles that had sent him to San Francisco to begin with. 

Glancing at her now, he couldn’t help but smirk as she leaned her head back and basked in the sweet ocean breezes and the last remnants of California sunshine. Whatever her mood had been earlier today, she now seemed completely and totally at ease, breaking out in little snippets of songs as they sped along the coastline watching as the sun sank lower on the horizon. 

“There,” she said pointing to a crooked tree perched upon a rocky outcropping, “the Lone Cypress…it’s a Monterey landmark…pull over.” Wyatt eased the Corvette into the parking lot just opposite as Lucy pulled out her phone and took a picture, “You know,” she asked, muttering as she attempted to get a better one, “they think it’s 250 years old?” 

“250 years old, huh?” Wyatt asked with a smirk, “I didn’t realize historians studied trees…”

“Very funny, Wyatt.” Lucy responded, “It’s one of the only iconic trees left on this drive. The Witch Tree was lost in a storm in the 1960s.”

“Witch Tree?” Wyatt asked with raised eyebrows, “What, is that where they hung witches 250 years ago?”

“No.” Lucy replied with a sardonic grin, “It was just…very creepy looking…though some people do say the area where it stood is haunted.”

“Of course, they do.” Wyatt muttered as he rolled his eyes. “I hope you’re not planning on doing any ghost hunting on this drive….”

“Why?” Lucy asked with a teasing grin, “Scared?”

“Hell no.” Wyatt replied with a scoff, “I just think all of that stuff is ridiculous…”

“I don’t know…there are plenty of weird stories out there…”

“Like what?” Wyatt asked in a voice dripping with skepticism. “I bet every creepy story has some kind of reasonable explanation.”

Lucy pursed her lips together in thought, before shrugging and offering, “Sarah Winchester, the widow of firearm tycoon William Winchester was so convinced that she was being haunted by the ghosts of all the people her husband’s guns had killed, she built a massive house filled with dead ends, trap doors, false walls….I mean, it has over 160 rooms, all designed to confuse…”

“Her guests?” Wyatt offered.

“No, the ghosts.” Lucy replied meaningfully, “She spent a fortune continually adding to that house….it still standing today, you know…in San Jose.”

“I’m not going to that house, Lucy.” Wyatt replied with a shake of his head. “Hell, how would you even make your way through it? You could end up locked in some room somewhere and no one would even know.” Scoffing, Wyatt added, “Poor old Mrs. Winchester sounds like she just had a guilty conscience – paranoia doesn’t count, Lucy…what else you got?” 

“Well,” she mused, “Harry Houdini…”

“A magician? C’mon, Lucy…”

“No, really…listen – I think you’ll appreciate this one.” Lucy urged. “Houdini wasn’t a spiritualist himself. He had wanted to believe in the unknown, but when his mother died he went to medium after medium testing them all to see if they could reveal the last thing she said to him…and none of them could. He believed the whole thing was a scam.”

Wyatt nodded in fervent agreement. 

“Spiritualism was really big in the 1920s.” Lucy continued, ignoring him, “It was everywhere and Houdini basically went to war with these mediums, throwing himself into his profession to prove that all of this was just an illusion, a trick of the mind to convince people that what they were experiencing was real...when it wasn’t.”

“So I’m guessing he, what?” Wyatt asked in disbelief, “Saw the ghost of his dead mother or something?”

“No, he never did, but before he died, he told his wife, Bess that if he were ever to speak to her from beyond the grave, he would do so in a way that only she would know.” Lucy explained, “so after he died, she held seances in the hopes that he would give her that sign that he promised.”

“And?”

“And…year after year, séance after séance….nothing. But then, one day, a man by the name of Arthur Ford approached Bess and claimed that he had been having a séance of his own when Houdini’s dead mother spoke to him from the other side and offered up one word… _Forgiven_.”

Wyatt stared back at her blankly, “Is that supposed to…”

“That was _the_ word.” Lucy exclaimed excitedly, “The last word his mother had spoken to him before she died, the one word he had waited for every medium to produce in their seances and they never did.”

“Oh, come on.” Wyatt groaned, “That doesn’t mean a thing…”

“Sir Arthur Conan Doyle didn’t think so.” Lucy replied with a shake of her head, “Author of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries? He was a good friend of Houdini’s and he said it absolutely was a sign.”

“Yeah, a sign that his friends were so desperate to make it seem that Houdini could talk to them from beyond the grave, they pumped this Ford guy full of information and sent him after his poor widow.” Wyatt spat out skeptically. 

Sighing Lucy sat back in her seat, her brow furrowed in concentration until she finally turned to him with a triumphant smirk, “Did you know that about a week before President Lincoln was shot and killed in Ford’s theatre, he had a dream that he was walking though the White House and saw himself laid out in his casket in the East Room?”

Wyatt stared back at her, looking horrified. “Okay…now _that’s_ creepy.” he conceded.

Smirking at him victoriously, Lucy settled in her seat and nodded back towards the tree, “Anyway, now that the witch tree is gone, the Lone Cypress is all that’s really left. So, for the past 65 years they’ve been supporting it with cable.”

“Well, that hardly seems fair.” Wyatt teased.

“Mmmmm maybe not.” Lucy agreed with a nod, “but it’s such a part of Monterey…I mean, it would be like New York City without the Statue of Liberty or…Texas,” she offered with a smirk, “without the Alamo.” She sighed as she looked at its graceful form silhouetted against the darkening sky, “I just hope it sticks around for another 250 years…it would be such a shame to lose it – this place just wouldn’t be the same.”

Wyatt wanted to make a quip about it being “just a tree” but looking out at the cliffside, with it stubbornly standing there in defiance as waves pummeled around it, he couldn’t help but admit that she was right. If that tree could withstand 250 years of the elements, even if it had help the last 65…that was pretty damn incredible. Looking around at the large houses flanking the well-known and pristine golf courses hugging the shoreline, Wyatt smirked, ‘Well, I think if any of these people have anything to say about it, it won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.”

“You’d be right, actually. Before you could picnic right underneath that tree,” she said, with a nod, “but in 1984 that changed when arsonists set it on fire. If it wasn’t for a very observant neighbor, it might not even be here today.”

“Well, good thing for nosy neighbors.” Wyatt observed as he continued to check out the multi-million dollar mansions surrounding them. “So what’s the story, here?” he asked, “I’m pretty sure these golf courses weren’t here 250 years ago.”

“No, they weren’t.” Lucy giggled. “This road was actually developed by the Pacific Improvement Company…which was basically a conglomerate of four railroad tycoons known as the Big Four. You’ve heard of the Trans-Continental Railroad, right?” Lucy asked Wyatt who frowned and nodded, “Well, the Big Four were the ones responsible for the Western portion of that line, led by none other than Leland Stanford.”

“Stanford…as in Stanford University, Stanford?”

“That’s right.” Lucy said with a nod. “They built the luxurious resort, the Hotel Del Monte, in order to attract buyers for all of this land here…”

“And I’m guessing that worked…” Wyatt replied with a smirk.

“Oh yes.” Lucy acknowledged, “Even more resorts and lodges went up all along here as well as golf courses. By the turn of the 20th century this whole place had been transformed into a playground for the ultra-wealthy.”

“And golfers.” Wyatt interjected with a quirked lip. “I mean, Pebble Beach…it’s like the most famous golf course on the planet, right?”

“Oh, you follow golf?” Lucy asked, raising her eyebrows.

“No.” Wyatt scoffed, “I mean, I’ll watch the Pro-Am every now and then, but…”

“You know the Pro-Am started in San Diego?” Lucy asked, turning towards him with a meaningful smile, “Started by none other than Bing Crosby.”

“I did know that, actually.” Wyatt said with a smirk as Lucy turned to him, gaping. “You look surprised.” he remarked with a slight chuckle, “I do know _some_ things about history, you know.”

Coloring slightly, Lucy grinned, “I just…I thought you weren’t really up on the 1940s Hollywood crowd?”

“I’m not.” Wyatt admitted with a shrug, “But my grandma…she was a huge fan of his…God, she would play those records all the time…used to drive my grandpa crazy.” Wyatt sighed, “My grandpa always would say he heard enough of him during the war.”

“He probably would have.” Lucy agreed with a nod, “He was the biggest star on the radio and on the screen during and after the war. He wanted to serve like so many of his friends…but he was 38 and had a family…and he was passed over.” Lucy frowned before continuing, “I think that really bothered him, not being drafted like everybody else. So, when the opportunity came to help out with the Armed Forces Radio he jumped at it. He worked tirelessly to help the war effort in any way that he could.” she explained, “He would do radio shows, live shows, tours…and all of that effort brought in millions for the USO and the Red Cross…and I don’t even know how many other charities.” She eyed Wyatt thoughtfully, “I guess that doesn’t really seem like much compared to what your Grandpa went through.”

“No…but morale is important.” Wyatt acknowledged with a nod, “Speaking as a soldier, myself…it’s nice to have something to distract you, you know?” Sighing heavily, he added, “My grandpa didn’t talk much about the hard times in the war…but, what he did say was that there were just some times when you had to remember what it was you were fighting for in order to be okay.” 

“That’s very good advice.” Lucy said quietly, before asking tentatively, “Did it help you…when you went off to war?”

Wyatt frowned as he considered her question. In his early years in the service, he had fought hard in order to earn his place among the elite. He volunteered for every mission he could, took every training class available in order to improve his aim, his technique, his combat-style…but after getting into Delta, things began to change. His grandfather had died, his marriage was on the rocks, and he felt…

Lost. 

He had taken up multiple assignments, quick missions...anything to get his mind off the fact that the life he had dreamed up for himself as a hopeful and desperate teenager was falling apart all around him. Kandahar hadn’t been his choice…but with the death of his grandfather hanging over his head, he wanted and needed the distraction…especially since Jessica had begun harping on him about starting a family. 

He hadn’t been ready…had told her there would be plenty of time for that later…but then he had come home to find that later wasn’t an option. 

When he and Jessica had that massive blowout, he knew it was over…despite the half-hearted attempts to make it work, to move past their trust issues and the affair, he couldn’t deny the inevitable, no matter how much he wanted to. The day he signed the divorce papers, he marched right into his unit and asked for another deployment…and he didn’t really give a damn as to where.

He took a lot of risks, which earned him a reputation for bravery…but Wyatt knew…it wasn’t bravery…it was recklessness. He just didn’t care anymore. His marriage was over, the man he had admired, adored and had looked up to nearly all of his life for guidance and direction was dead and he didn’t know what he was fighting for anymore. So when that mission in Syria went to absolute hell and he found himself as the odd man out…the one who was forced to leave his team behind in order to be a damn messenger boy…he had every reason in the world to curse God for letting him live, while other men, _better_ men were left to die.

Men who had something to fight for. 

“Wyatt?” Lucy’s voice called to him from the seat beside him, “Are you okay?”

“Sorry.” he said with a start, “I…um…was just…thinking.” He cleared his throat as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat and checked his watch, “I…um…guess we should start heading back now, right?” 

Lucy eyed him with concern before sitting back tentatively and replying, “Yeah…I..um I guess we should.” 

He backed the car out of the small parking space and turned once more down 17-mile drive, his thoughts swirling around Syria and the promise he had made to himself to try to make things right with Jessica…not just for himself and what they once had, but for every single guy he had left behind who would never have the chance to be with their families again. 

But he had failed in that too, hadn’t he? Jessica was now royally pissed at him for ruining her afternoon off with her newest fling and he…well, he just jumped in his damn Jeep and started driving, trying to the make the most of his two weeks of leave anywhere but in San Diego where every single thing reminded him of the failure that was his marriage.

And then he met Lucy. 

Spending time with her had made him feel like himself again. Who the hell needed San Francisco when you could fall into William Randolph Hearst’s pool or drive around Monterey in a ‘55 Corvette? But even then, he knew as they made their way back to the rental garage, that this…whatever this was…would be over and then, where the hell would he be? Back to brooding over every damn thing that had gone wrong in his life and wondering when the hell he was ever going to catch a damn break. 

“I didn’t mean to upset you.” Lucy’s voice called out tentatively, “I really didn’t mean to pry.”

Wyatt quickly cast his eyes over at Lucy, as if suddenly reminded that she was sitting there beside him. Shaking his head, he cleared his throat and replied, “No…you didn’t…I just…um…it’s not something I like to talk about, you know?”

“I’m sorry.” Lucy said quickly, “I really didn’t mean anything…”

“Don’t feel bad, Lucy.” Wyatt said with a shake of his head, “It’s not anything you did, okay? It’s just…” he sighed heavily before scoffing in explanation, “that advice, it’s…it’s just easier said than done. Hell, I shouldn’t even be here.”

Lucy colored and nodded, but said nothing more as they made their way back to the now crowded streets along Cannery Row, both of them too absorbed with their own thoughts to make conversation. It wasn’t until they reached the garage where Wyatt was forced to say good-bye to the best surprise he had ever been given that he became painfully aware of Lucy’s continued silence…and the fact that this was essentially it. They were headed back to his Jeep and then they would be forced to say good-bye forever. 

As they slowly made their way back onto the sidewalk, Wyatt nudged her arm, “I…um…can’t thank you enough for that,” he muttered sheepishly, “really, it…it was…incredible – you really didn’t have to do that, you know”

Lucy shrugged, but kept her face ducked away from his as she replied, “Well, I…just wanted to say thank you…for everything.” She gave a half-hearted chuckle as she continued with a sigh, “You didn’t have to stop, you could have swerved around me like everyone else did…but you didn’t. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

Wyatt wanted to tell her he felt the same way, but feeling like that would get him dangerously close to being an asshole, he dismissed her praise with a shrug of his own, “Well, don’t give me too much credit, ma’am.” he admitted with a laugh, “I wanted to swerve around you just like everybody else…”

Stopping suddenly, Lucy stared after a still strolling Wyatt, “Wait…you…you really didn’t want to help me?”

Wyatt, not noticing that Lucy had stopped, continued strolling on as he replied with a laugh, “Are you kidding? I just figured it would be a hell of a lot faster to move you out of the damn road…boy, was I wrong, right?” He turned to smile at her and noticed she was no longer beside him, turning suddenly, he looked back at her with concern, “Hey…what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Lucy responded shortly, resuming her walk at a faster pace, “I just think we should be heading back now…”

“Lucy?” Wyatt called after her, but she was still speeding a long ahead of him, causing him to have to jog slightly to keep up with her. Desperate to find out what had upset her so much, Wyatt finally caught up with her, tugging at her arm in an attempt to get her to face him. He was almost sorry he had, because there, on her cheeks, were the unmistakable tracks of tears. Realizing that he had probably upset her with his teasing, Wyatt quickly attempted to amend the situation, “Lucy, what…did you think that I…God, no…I…I didn’t mean…”

“It’s okay, Wyatt.” Lucy assured him, shrugging her arm out of his grasp, “I don’t blame you…I mean, how can I? You were trying to get out of San Diego for a well-deserved vacation and you’re still not on it…” she let out a derisive chuckle as she shook her head, “You were right…you _shouldn’t_ be here…you should be enjoying yourself, doing the things you had planned…not driving me all over the place. I should never have….” she swallowed hard as she attempted by failed to meet his eye, “I’m…I’m really sorry.”

“Lucy,” Wyatt groaned, suddenly realizing how all of that must have sounded to her, “that’s not what I meant….” he sighed heavily as he scanned the crowded wharf, trying to find someplace quiet to explain himself. Remembering the nearby and by this time of night, almost always deserted municipal wharf, Wyatt tugged Lucy by the arm and led her past the colorful sights and sounds of Fisherman’s wharf and towards the far more serene setting next door.

“Listen,” he began apologetically as they began to slowly make their past Fisherman’s wharf, “what I said back there…I wasn’t talking about not being here with you.”

“Wyatt, really…you don’t have to…”

“No, Lucy, I do.” he let out a heavy sigh as he tried to explain, “When you asked me about knowing what I was fighting for, it just…I didn’t volunteer for that deployment in Syria because I knew what I was fighting for…I volunteered because I just didn’t give a damn anymore.” Lucy stayed silent beside him as they slowly made their way up the pier, the sounds of the ocean waves lapping against its well weathered posts as Wyatt continued, “I felt like…all my life I had tried so hard to be every bit of the man my grandpa was…but, after I signed those divorce papers…I felt like I was letting him down, you know?” Scoffing, he added, “He had always told me, “you’re only good as the person standing beside you” and well I didn’t have Jessica anymore…and I felt like in a lot of ways it was my own damn fault.”

“But Wyatt,” Lucy argued sympathetically, “marriage is a two-way street…”

“Yeah.” he scoffed, “but how can you work on your marriage, be a good husband, when you’re constantly running head long into danger?” He shook his head, “I always appreciated my grandfather’s wisdom, his advice…he was my hero…but hell, after he died,” Wyatt admitted ruefully, “is when I think I needed him the most.”

“Wyatt, I’m so sorry…I didn’t mean…”

“I know you didn’t.” Wyatt said softly, offering her a small, reassuring smile, “It’s just…when I deployed to Syria, I felt like a failure. I didn’t care what happened to me…I was…I was reckless.” He nodded, “Our last mission there, we were pinned down, outgunned, outmanned trying to break free to get intelligence out to our support team…and it was just me and my old buddy Zach who hadn’t been shot or injured in some way.” He swallowed hard as he continued in a voice filled with emotion, “I…I wanted to be the one to stay behind, but Zach insisted we flip a damn coin.” He shook his head as he blinked back angry tears, “Zach said it was _fate…_ I was the brave one, he said…the one not afraid to charge headfirst into enemy fire…but what he didn’t understand – it wasn’t bravery at all…”

“Wyatt…”

“It wasn’t fate. It was just dumb luck. I should have been the one to stay behind,” he said ruefully, “It should’ve been me. Not Zach…he had his whole life figured out. People who really cared about him back home, you know? Not like…” he shook his head, sorrowfully before adding slowly, “I left them to die…I left them to die and they gave me a medal for it.” He scoffed as he explained, “That’s what I meant…I didn’t…God, Lucy…I didn’t mean you. Stopping to help you was…it was the best damn decision I ever made in my life.” 

Before he even realized what was happening, Lucy’s arms were snaking around his neck, pulling him in for heartfelt hug. He knew, somewhere in his mind, that he should not be taking comfort in her arms, but he found he could not help himself. For the first time in a long time, he felt…anchored – as if he had been adrift, wandering aimlessly for years until this very moment. The feel of her pressed against him, the feel of her heart pounding against his own as she squeezed him tighter, had him wrapping his own arms just as firmly around her, in a desperate attempt to keep her with him as a lifeline to this…this _feeling_ as long as he possibly could. 

He hadn’t meant for it to happen, but the longer they stayed wrapped around one another, the more his brain began to short-circuit, causing him to forget all sense of who he once was…and more importantly…who Lucy was. The moment she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed, he knew he was a goner. This had given him a glimpse…just a glimpse of what it might be liked to be loved by Lucy Preston…and he couldn’t help himself.

He _wanted_ more. 

Nuzzling her head with his chin, he managed to coax her wondering face out of the crook of his neck just enough for him to ghost his lips over the surface of her jaw, delighting in the sigh that elicited from her as she caressed his cheek, pulling him to her. And then, his lips were on hers, soft and yearning, desperate to communicate everything he felt for her in one earnest and whole-hearted kiss. 

Something powerful had ignited within him. Something he couldn’t explain. Something that both terrified and delighted him. He had heard people wax poetic for years about one and only’s and meant to be’s…but he had _thought_ he had had that once upon a time too…and look how that turned out. This, however, was something entirely different. This was nothing like anything he had ever felt before. This was devastating and beautiful all at once…like a…like a lightning bolt from the heavens; something unearthly that was destined to save him from a life of misery…or bound to completely destroy him.

Hungry…frantic…his once gentle kiss and become heated and desperate, matched only in its fervor by Lucy’s response. Her hands were everywhere, cupping his jaw, running through his hair, gripping at his neck, pulling at his shoulders…and well…he returned the favor with a vengeance, his hands tangled in her hair, running down the length of her spine pressing her ever closer. He wanted nothing more than to stay locked together like this forever and would have been more than happy to melt right into her. 

That is until Lucy pulled away with a horrified gasp. 

He was tempted to pull her back in, feeling some ungodly need for her…like she was oxygen and he was a man, drowning…but she was stumbling backwards away from him, gaping at him with a face full of apology and shame…and well, he didn’t think that would be such a great idea. 

“I…I shouldn’t have…” she stammered, horrified. Her eyes were no longer bright with hope and longing, but clouded over with sadness and regret. “I…um…I shouldn’t have done that.” she stumbled out anxiously. Wyatt stared back at her, his own shame mounting as the realization of what he had done came hitting him full force as she nodded curtly and speedily walked away from him, calling over her shoulder, “I um…think we should…I think we should go.”

Wyatt stood, gaping after her, his senses slowly rebooting as Lucy steps took her further and further away from him. What the hell had he just done? There was no denying that kissing Lucy had thrown his entire world for a loop and had shaken him straight to his core…but he also could not deny the very plain and irrefutable fact that despite his many unspoken resolutions to resist temptation and avoid this very thing, kissing Lucy had officially made him something he swore he never would be. 

He was an asshole. 

Jogging to catch up with her, Wyatt made his way down the pier only to find that Lucy was already sitting in his Jeep hastily patting down her hair and…from what he could see, desperately trying to regain her composure. Determined to take responsibility for his own actions, Wyatt opened his car door and slid in behind the wheel, turning to her with an apology already on his lips, but Lucy cut him off before he could even utter out one single word. 

“I don’t want to talk about it.” she said breathlessly, her face flushing in embarrassment, “just…please…please just drive.”

Inwardly cursing himself, Wyatt did as he was told, pissed as hell that he had gone and ruined what had been one of the greatest days of his life in recent memory. Why the hell couldn’t he have just left well enough alone? They had been…friends, right? They had enjoyed a great and memorable weekend together…and he could have and should have just left it at that. He knew she was engaged, dammit…knew this whole damn connection he had with her would end the minute he dropped her off in Palo Alto…and yet, he still had to go and kiss her. 

And what a kiss. 

He was still reeling from it; the way her mouth had latched onto his, hungry and willing, the feel of her hands on his face and in his hair, the way she felt in his arms – like she belonged there…with him. He knew he shouldn’t want another kiss, hell…she was sitting beside him looking like she had just made the biggest mistake of her life…that was hardly encouraging…but damn it all, if he wasn’t tempted to pull the Jeep over and snake her right back into his arms again. 

Yup. There was no denying it – he was a complete and total asshole. 

The rest of the drive was besieged by a silence so awkward, Wyatt was half-tempted to turn on the radio to break the tension. Every second of the next one hour and twenty-five minutes seemed like a damned eternity as they sat there, neither one of them hardly daring to breathe. Occasionally, a small sniffle would escape Lucy, but the moment his eyes darted sideways towards her, she would purposefully look the other way, determined to avoid his gaze at all costs. 

Wyatt figured she probably hated him now…no, not probably…that was pretty much certain. He had promised her he was a gentleman, that she was safe in his hands…and what the hell did he do? He took advantage of that trust and practically mauled her like some psychotic jackass. 

God, how he hated himself. 

When the exit for Stanford finally… _mercifully_ appeared, Lucy’s sniffles turned into full-blown sobs and Wyatt felt even more like an ass seeing her face wrenched in agony and shame. He had done this to her…and he needed to make it right. He had every intention of turning to Lucy and offering up his sincerest apologies, but the second he put his Jeep in park, Lucy jumped out of the car, hardly waiting for it to come to a complete stop before muttering tearfully, “Thank you, Wyatt” and essentially slamming the door on his face. 

Anxious to talk to her, Wyatt leapt out of his Jeep and called after her as she made her way through the grassy thoroughfare to the walkway leading up to the Liberal Arts building, “Lucy, wait!” he called out, jogging after her, his quavering voice reflecting his nearly frantic desperation. “Please, Lucy…don’t…don’t go.”

With a shuddering sigh, Lucy halted and reluctantly turned around, her face flushing furiously with tears streaming down her face. “Wyatt…” she gasped in a choked voice, “I have to…”

“Listen, Lucy,” he began, feverishly, desperate to make things right, “I’m…I’m sorry…I should’ve _never_ done that, okay?” he swallowed hard as he continued, “It’s all on me. All of it. God, I’m such an asshole.” he scoffed, “I mean, you’re engaged and I…I should’ve never…I’m so so sorry.”

Lucy stared back at him, looking absolutely heartbroken. She shook her head ruefully and for one horrifying moment Wyatt was afraid she was going to hell him to go straight to hell. 

But she didn’t. 

Instead, in a voice thick with emotion she admitted ruefully, “I’m not.”

If Lucy had been crying before, it was nothing to what she was doing now. Her face contorted in agony before she hid it behind her hands, sobbing into them in absolute shame. Wyatt wanted to go to her, to hug her, to kiss away every tear…to do anything but stand by helplessly and watch her cry. It was killing him to see her like this, but just as he resolved to give her that hug she pulled her face out of her hands and pleaded desperately, “Please…please don’t feel bad Wyatt. I…I should be the one apologizing to you.” Wyatt shook his head at her, disagreeing entirely with her assessment but she insisted, “You’ve been nothing but kind to me…and I…” she trailed off as a new flood of tears drowned away her already water-logged voice. 

Once again, Wyatt stood helplessly by, waiting for her to gather enough composure to talk to him. When she finally did, her voice was once again thick and heavy with emotion, “It was my engagement party.” she muttered so low that Wyatt wasn’t quite sure he heard her correctly.

“What?”

“My engagement party,” she admitted ruefully, “That I cancelled twice? That I was supposed to be here for?” She looked to Wyatt with pleading eyes, willing him to understand, “I just couldn’t…it all happened so fast…”

“Lucy…” Wyatt began, but she cut him off with a breathless explanation.

“We were having dinner…his parents, my mother…we were celebrating the first year of his residency,” she explained, “and then he…he pulled out the ring and I…I didn’t know what to do.” She let out a strangled sob as she recalled, “Everyone was so excited and happy…they kept telling me to try it on…so I did.”

“Lucy,” Wyatt asked in a trembling voice, “are you telling me…are you telling me you never said yes?”

Not looking at him, Lucy whimpered woefully as she wiped the tears making their way down her cheeks, “I didn’t say no.” she amended with a shaky sigh. “This trip? I volunteered to go in my mother’s place…not because she couldn’t go…but because I _wanted_ to go.” Lucy admitted. “I think she suspected…” Lucy added with a sob, “she insisted I take a plane so I would absolutely be back in time for this…this party. Because she’s right,” Lucy said with a choked gasp, “What kind of person cancels their engagement party three times?”

“Lucy…”

“When my car broke down…I thought it was just like how it was in college…that the universe was trying to tell me I had made a mistake. That I should have listened to my mother…that this was my punishment. But then you…” she closed her eyes as a fresh wave of tears burst forth, “meeting you made me believe that maybe I wasn’t meant to do this at all. For the first time in my life I felt…free.” She sobbed miserably into her hands, before admitting with a shaky sigh, “I used you, Wyatt. I _used_ you.” she spat out in self-loathing and regret, “I just…I wasn’t ready for it to end. I’m so so sorry.”

“Do you love him?” Wyatt asked desperately. 

Lucy, again, looked at him with pleading eyes, “Wyatt..”

“Do you love him?” he asked again, more insistently. 

Once again, Lucy’s face contorted with agony as a one-word admittance squeaked out of her throat, “No.”

“Then why the hell are you marrying him?” Wyatt couldn’t help but spit out with some force.

“Because…he really is a nice man.. He’s smart and funny…and kind…he loves me…”

“Dammit, Lucy just because someone is a good person doesn’t mean you owe them anything.”

“It’s not that…” Lucy muttered in reply. 

“Then what it is?” Wyatt asked, already knowing the answer. 

“You don’t understand. Noah is the son of my mother’s best friend, both of our families want this…they’ve always wanted this.”

“What about what _you_ want?”

“I…I do want this.” Lucy replied weakly as Wyatt shook his head at her in disbelief, “I do.” she maintained, “Who wouldn’t? To be married to someone who loves me? Who gets along with my mother? He’s thoughtful and kind…and he’s been so patient while I’ve…I’ve…I’ve been horrible to him.” She let out a shaky sigh as she explained, “What kind of person would I be if I didn’t give him a chance?” 

“A chance at what?” Wyatt asked incredulously. “Lucy,” he pleaded, begging her to see reason “you can’t marry a guy you don’t love. That’s not fair to you and it’s sure as hell not fair to him.” He let out a derisive laugh, “Take it from somebody who knows…marriage isn’t easy…and if you don’t absolutely love the person you’re with…”

“Wyatt…” Lucy argued, “I care about him…I do. How could I not?” she scoffed, “He’s been very good to me…he’s everything I _should_ want…I mean, _everyone_ we know tells us how great we are together,” she sighed, “everyone is looking forward to us getting married and…” 

“Everyone but _you_.” Wyatt stated firmly, his voice quaking with emotion but Lucy didn’t respond. Instead she threw her hands up over her face in shame and began pacing nervously, looking very much like she was trapped in a corner. Wyatt, however, wasn’t deterred - he pressed further, “Are you seriously going to marry a man you don’t love just so you don’t disappoint your mother?”

“My _mother_ had nothing to do with this.” Lucy spat out angrily, suddenly rounding on him.

Wyatt couldn’t help but let out a derisive laugh at that, “Yeah, right.” he spat back, “I don’t believe that for one second…and,” he added with a meaningful nod, “I’m pretty damn sure, you don’t either.”

Lucy stared back at him, her mouth hung open in shock, as her face flushed furiously. She looked absolutely offended but more than that, she looked uneasy...like maybe he had hit a little too close to the truth, uneasy. “What’s…what’s that supposed to mean?“ she snarled, “You think I’m just that pathetic? That I can’t…I can’t find somebody without her arranging it all, is that it?”

“Oh come on, Lucy.” Wyatt groaned, “In a city of, what? 900,000 people? You just happen to be chased down by the guy your mom has secretly wanted you to marry for years? Who, oh by the way, only landed in San Francisco a month before? What are the damn odds?”

“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about.” she dismissed with a huff, though Wyatt noted she refused to meet his eye, “It was _just_ a coincidence…my mother…I mean, Noah didn’t…it was just...it was just fate, alright?” she spat out angrily, turning on her heel and stalking determinedly back towards the Liberal Arts building, before calling over her shoulder to him with a sneer, “And I already know … _you_ don’t believe in fate, so you can spare me the lecture.”

“I _didn’t_.” Wyatt corrected her, his voice hardly above a whisper…but the impact it had on Lucy was immediately profound, giving it all the weight of a thunderbolt. 

She stopped abruptly in her tracks, gasping as if all of the air had been knocked right out of her, leaving her stunned and breathless. Turning slowly, she looked back at Wyatt, disbelief written all over her face…but also with something that, to him, looked an awful lot like hope. “What…what did you say?” she breathed out in an awe-struck whisper.

Wyatt was never good with speeches, even less so when there were deep feelings behind them. He was a man of action...and for him, showing Lucy how much she meant to him seemed a hell of a lot more simple than telling her exactly how meeting her...kissing her had made all of that fairy-tale garbage he used to roll his eyes at, seem completely plausible. He was just about to step forward and wrap her up in his arms again to do just that, when another man came bounding up behind her and beat him to the punch. Wyatt startled back as the man snaked his arms around Lucy’s tiny waist and planted a kiss on her cheek, “I thought that was you, beautiful.” he purred in her ear. 

Whirling around in surprise, Lucy gasped, “N…Noah…what…what are you doing here?”

“Well, your mom told me you were meeting her here tonight and I thought I’d drop in and surprise you. I’ve missed you.” he cooed as he peppered kisses along her jaw, his hands wrapping around her waist pulling her closer to him.

Casting a wary eye towards a pained-looking Wyatt, Lucy shrugged out of her fiance’s embrace, admonishing him with more than just a look, “Not _here_ , Noah.” she urged, feeling all the awkwardness of the situation.

“Hey? What’s wrong?” Noah asked in concern, his eyes widening at her reddened eyes, “Have…have you been crying?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” She replied shaking her head and ducking her head down away from his gaze, “I was just…I was just telling Wyatt how…how much I…how much I appreciate what he did for me, bringing me home all in one piece, I mean.”

“Well, that makes two of us.” Noah said with a smile, extending his hand forth to shake Wyatt’s, “You must be the big hero we’ve heard so much about.” Wyatt shook his hand, feeling a wave of both shame and jealousy wash over him as Noah pulled Lucy to his side in a tight embrace.

He was every bit the man Wyatt imagined him to be. The cliched dark, tall, and handsome type that women typically go for with the added bonus of his obvious wealth. From his leather shoes, designer jeans, and North Face parka, everything about this guy screamed upper class. Wyatt cast a glance down to his own dusty and worn set of Levi’s and felt immediately out of place in this ivy-league world to which Lucy belonged. 

“Lucy’s told us all about you.” Noah continued with a perfectly white grin, “I hope she didn’t inconvenience you too much.”

“No.” Wyatt muttered with a slight shake of his head, battling to keep his emotions in check, “she didn’t.”

“You must be pretty brave.” he stated, “going on a road trip with her.” Noah chuckled, “I bet she made you stop at every single historical marker between here and Los Angeles, didn’t she?”

Lucy blushed furiously and Wyatt, feeling her embarrassment, turned a cool eye to Noah and responded sharply, “She made the trip a hell of a lot more interesting if that’s what you mean.”

Noah laughed, “Oh don’t worry about being polite. I’ve been on enough trips with both Lucy and her mother to know…every rock, building, road sign has an interesting back story, right?” He shook his head, chuckling to himself as he tugged Lucy a bit closer, “I told Carol we might want to think about moving that party to next month so that you’d be back in time.” Turning his attention back to Wyatt, he nodded seriously, “But really, thank you for keeping an eye on her out there. I mean it, I really hope it wasn’t too much of an inconvenience for you.”

Again, a blush spread across Lucy’s cheek, her eyes darting from Wyatt’s face to the ground at her feet. “No.” Wyatt replied curtly, “I was coming to San Francisco anyway.”

“Oh really?” Noah asked, his interest piqued, “for business…”

“Just a…vacation.” Wyatt said flatly.

“Well, I hope Lucy gave you a run-down of all the great spots to visit.” When Wyatt offered him a slight nod, Noah added, “Oh and if you’re still going to be in town later this week, you should stop by our engagement party. It’ll be great to have a face to go along with the story of Lucy’s latest misadventure.” Noah said with a grin as he pulled out a card from his wallet, “There’s the address.” he added, handing the card to Wyatt who took it from him mechanically, refusing to even look at it. 

Instead, his eyes were on Lucy who turned to Noah, with a frantic shake of her head. “Oh Noah, he…he doesn’t want to go to that…”

“Don’t be silly.” Noah dismissed, “He’ll have people lining up to shake his hand. Half of Lucy’s friends,” Noah explained to Wyatt who was looking like he was going to be sick, “are convinced you aren’t real. Can’t say that I blame them. What are the odds of an actual Delta Force soldier rescuing our Lucy from the side of the Pacific Coast Highway?” he chuckled in amusement.

Wyatt stared back at Noah sullenly, absolutely biting back the temptation to ask him a similar question over the odds of how _he_ met Lucy. 

Lucy must have suspected what was running though Wyatt’s mind, because she suddenly tugged on Noah’s arm, “I don’t think it’s a good idea…”

“I think he can be the judge of that.” Noah argued with a smile, before turning back to Wyatt with a sincere nod, “Really though, consider it. Free food, free alcohol…and I’m not sure what your situation is but we might be able to scrounge you up a nice date for the evening. Lucy has one or two friends…”

“Noah…” Lucy interjected with a shake of her head, casting another awkward glance towards a stony-faced Wyatt, “please…”

“Okay, okay…I’ll stop” he said to Lucy before turning again to Wyatt with a conspiratorial whisper, “but seriously, if you’re interested…”

“Noah!” Lucy gasped, horrified. 

“Lucy,” he argued back, “the poor man has been acting like your chauffer for the past two days, I think it would be nice to show our appreciation, that’s all. Oh, and speaking of that” he added, suddenly digging into his coat pocket for his wallet, “I hope Lucy offered to pay you for your trouble? If not, I can…”

“I don’t want your money.” Wyatt said with a scoff as he cast another pained look at Lucy, “I just…it was my pleasure, okay? I’m just glad I got her back to you…safe.” Shaking his head, he began backing away to his Jeep, his eyes fixed only on her as he said in a soft voice, “I hope everything works out for you.”

He was almost to his Jeep when Lucy rushed forward anxiously, calling out to him desperately, “Wyatt?” 

He stopped, waiting for her to say something, _anything_ but what he knew…especially now with her fiancé at her side…she inevitably would say. She looked back at him helplessly, clearly conflicted as she stood halfway between the man she had (sort of) promised to marry and the man who wished beyond all hope and reason that she would leave all of this behind and someday marry him. 

For one glorious moment, Wyatt thought that maybe, just maybe she just might do it. He had heard the desperation in her voice…the same desperation he had felt when he thought he might never get the chance to apologize. He could see the longing in her eyes…the same longing he saw less than two hours before when he kissed her on that pier. If that kiss had meant half as much to her as it did to him, he couldn’t imagine that anything would be able to keep her from jumping back in his Jeep and driving the hell away from all of this as fast as they could. 

But she didn’t.

With a shaky sigh and fresh tears pooling in her eyes, Lucy bit her lip in agony and whispered the words he never wanted to hear but knew would inevitably haunt his dreams forever. “Goodbye, Wyatt.”

Frowning in understanding and defeat, Wyatt nodded as he slowly opened the door to his Jeep, desperate to keep his own emotions in check as he offered her one last heartfelt piece of advice, “Take care of yourself, Lucy.” With one final, meaningful nod towards her tear-stricken face, Wyatt slammed the door shut behind him and drove off into the night, and though he cursed himself for his own damn weakness, he couldn’t keep himself from watching as she slowly disappeared from sight in the reflection of his rearview mirror. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry to leave you all with angst, especially with the world suffering through enough angst as it is....but rest assured, it will be short lived. The next chapter is the finale of this fic and while it's not quite done yet, it's about half-way there and I promise, I am working as fast as I can to get this and the others I have still in progress completed as soon as possible. 
> 
> I really hope you enjoyed this update. I tried, throughout this fic, to give little nods to the Wyatt and Lucy we know from the show and the same holds true for this chapter. The Sarah Winchester story, while we didn't see it on Timeless, was a slight and subtle nod to HH Holmes and his murder castle with the secret rooms and false walls. 
> 
> Harry Houdini & Lincoln of course, go without saying. 
> 
> I was working on proofing this when I saw the news about the watch party with our Time Team tomorrow and it's just brought me so much joy. This show is so incredibly special and we are so lucky to have cast members who seem to love it as much as we do. 
> 
> Thank you so so much for reading and those of you who review, thank you for your kind words and encouragement.  
> I hope you are all healthy and well during these tense times, but I suppose if we're looking for silver linings we can take some comfort in the fact that we are all experiencing this together. Be well...and may we all find toilet paper on our shelves again some day.


	8. Chapter 8

“Dammit”

Wyatt rubbed a rough hand through his hair as he stood in the quiet, star-lit stillness of the darkened mountain lodge cursing his luck. 

After leaving Lucy in the arms of her fiancé, Wyatt began the lonely trek to San Francisco with a mind and heart filled with regret and loss. He hadn’t gone very far, when he decided that there was no way he could stomach a stay in San Francisco; his mind was too full of both Lucy and Jessica to make that anything but a living hell for him. Jessica, because she had always wanted to go, and Lucy…well, let’s just say he couldn’t even think about the Golden Gate bridge without feeling sick to his stomach. 

The last thing he needed in the midst of all of his misery was to wake up every damn morning for the next two weeks with that landmark looming over him like a dark cloud, reminding him that the woman he was head over heels for was set to marry a man she didn’t even love…all because of “fate” and that damn bridge. Wanting to put as much distance between himself and every last bit of heartache he had suffered over the past few years, therefore, Wyatt drove on, hardly caring where he ended up until he remembered his Grandpa Sherwin. 

When he was younger, Wyatt had often clambered up to the loft in his grandfather’s barn and pulled out old photographs and letters from his World War II days. Maybe it was because he had never really had a family of his own outside of his grandparents, but seeing those pictures of his grandfather, surrounded by his “brothers in arms”, gave Wyatt a sense of purpose and direction. He wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself, to be like those men in the photographs…to see the world, like they had.

It was during one of his visits to that loft, that his Grandpa Sherwin caught him rifling through his old things. When Wyatt scrambled to his feet to apologize, his grandfather, far from being upset, chuckled lightly and crouched down next to him seemingly all too willing to reminisce about the good old days with his grandson. In one particularly faded and worn old envelope, his grandpa pulled out a grainy old photo and smiled, “This here,” he said in a soft voice, “was taken right before your grandma and I headed back to Texas on our honeymoon.” His eyes crinkled as he smiled at memories that remained carefully locked away in his heart and mind before ruffling Wyatt’s hair with a gentle hand, “This old world has got some mighty pretty places, son…but nothing has ever amazed me quite like Yosemite – it was the best damn week of my life.”

Remembering this, Wyatt quickly turned his Jeep onto the San Mateo-Hayward bridge and began the nearly four-hour trek east to Yosemite National Park. He knew, from browsing through a few brochures as he prepared for this San Francisco trip, that there were a couple of nice mountain lodges as well as well-maintained campgrounds all throughout the park. He didn’t have a reservation, but he figured that even if he had to sleep in his damn Jeep, it would be a far better night’s rest than he would get sleeping in some damn hotel room in a city that would remind him of everything he had lost. 

Of course, it was his own damn fault. He knew from the start that Lucy was engaged, knew that once they reached San Francisco…or well, Palo Alto, that their paths would diverge and that would be the end of it. He just hadn’t expected to fall for her…and didn’t realize he had until it was too damn late. 

But that was why Yosemite was such a good idea. Not only would he be spending time away from the hustle and bustle of civilization, he was now going to be so far to the east, driving back to San Diego from Yosemite would allow him to avoid the coast altogether…which was something he desperately wanted to do. 

It was just past midnight when he pulled into the Yosemite Valley Lodge. Stepping out into the cool dark night, he marveled at the thousands of twinkling stars suspended in the inky blackness above him. He had seen stars like this before, of course. In his small West Texas hometown and on a few remote deployments…but here, among the dark shadows of the Sierra Nevadas and the towering sequoias, they seemed…bigger, brighter… 

…or maybe he was just looking for anything to help him justify the fact that he had just driven four more hours out of his way to avoid being anywhere near where Lucy was. 

The stiffness that had settled in his legs slowly dissipated as he wearily made his way towards the lobby. The lodge was fashioned after a rustic log cabin with rows and rows of connected bungalows situated all along the property. As he entered, a roaring fire greeted his arrival, immediately warming him as he stomped across the hardwood floors to the check-in desk.

“I’m…um…looking for a room.” Wyatt muttered to the young clerk behind the desk, before offering in explanation, “I don’t have a reservation…I sort of just made a last-minute decision to come up here.”

“No problem at all, sir.” the clerk replied, in a manner Wyatt thought was too damn perky for that time of night. “We have plenty of rooms available, you’ll just need a major credit card to get you settled.”

Happy that at least something had ended up going right for him tonight, Wyatt handed his credit card and military ID over and rested his aching head in his hands, praying that maybe this was a sign of better things to come.

“I hope you had a pleasant trip here, Master Sergeant Logan?” the clerk quipped as she typed in his information. “Stationed in…San Diego, I see? Did you drive or fly into Yosemite this evening?”

Not in the mood for small talk, and definitely not in any mood to revisit any part of his drive, Wyatt merely grunted in response, hoping that the perky hotel clerk would take the hint and just leave him the hell alone. 

But she didn’t. 

“How many will be in your room, sir?”

“It’s just me.” Wyatt muttered in response, his head still firmly in his hands. 

“And how long will you be staying with us?”

“I don’t know…haven’t decided yet.”

“Oh, in that case would you be interested in our extended stay pac…”

“Look,” Wyatt interrupted with a huff, “I’m just _interested_ in getting a room, okay? I don’t want anything right now but sleep.” Seeing the look of shock on the clerk’s face because of his rudeness, Wyatt sighed ruefully as he dragged a rough hand across his face. ”I’m…I’m sorry…I’m just…I had a long drive and I’m tired…I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

The clerk nodded back at him, handing him his room key with far less perky enthusiasm than she had initially greeted him with…and while he did feel bad about snapping at her, he really wasn’t all that moved to care whether she thought he was a jackass or not. He was far more interested in locking himself away in a hotel room for the next few hours to sleep…and maybe drink away his sorrows - but he knew that neither would really solve anything. If he drank he would inevitably wake up feeling all that much worse in the morning…and if he didn’t drink, well…there was no way in hell he was going to get any damn sleep at all tonight. 

With that depressing and irrefutable thought in mind, the moment the clerk handed him his room key, Wyatt slowly made his way back out to his Jeep, figuring that the least he could do was take a nice hot shower in an attempt to clear his mind and relax his overwrought nerves. 

He never should have kissed her – that much was certain…but the fact was he had and now, knowing that she didn’t love her fiancé, knowing that if that asshole hadn’t shown up when he had that maybe…just maybe…

No. 

He couldn’t keep on like this. Lucy’s fiancé wasn’t to blame…hell, who wouldn’t be crazy about Lucy Preston? He didn’t have any right to hate the man for being in love with her…if anything, that Noah guy should hate him – the man who had spent two days with his fiancé, driving up the coast, stopping at every roadside attraction, milking every second that he could with a woman who was engaged to someone else. How many times in his life had he sworn never to be the asshole his father was? How many times, after he caught Jessica with that…jackass Jeff, Jack…whatever the hell his name was…had he vowed to never be the type of guy he was? 

Noah wasn’t the asshole – _he_ was. 

And what an asshole. 

He knew Lucy was engaged. He knew she was trying to get home in time for… _something_ …and yet, he went along with every single request, every single detour, never once questioned the optics of any of it…why? Because he liked spending time her. Lucy, a woman who was clearly off limits. How many times had he told himself to keep her at arm’s length? How many times had he reminded himself that she was not available? How many times had he recalled the hurt and betrayal he had felt when he had come home to find Jessica wrapped up in the arms of another man? 

And yet still, like a complete and total asshole, he had to go and kiss her. 

The phantom feel of her fingers on his face, the way she felt in his arms, the desperate and hungry way she had kissed him back, lingered with him like a heavy, dark cloud, striking him to his very soul with the power of a lightening bolt with how much it hurt to leave her behind forever. 

Oh hell, he needed to get her out of his head. 

He hastened his steps towards his Jeep, hoping that here in the great outdoors, among the fresh air, mountains, and sequoia forests, a place that his grandfather had always remembered so fondly, he would be able to forget her and focus on somehow getting his life back on track. But the moment he opened the back hatch to his Jeep and reached for his suitcase that hope came to a frustrating and devastating end. 

Because there, sitting neatly next to his own suitcase…were Lucy’s bags.

Dammit.

Dammit.

Dammit. 

He stared into the back of his Jeep, his stomach hurtling into an endless abyss of torment and anxiety, at the matching luggage set nestled neatly next to his own…mocking him, telling him that no matter where he ran, no matter how much distance he had tried to put between them, there would be no escaping that kiss nor the memory of one Lucy Preston.

Wyatt kicked out at nothing, cursing himself for being so damn hasty. He hadn’t even thought about her damn suitcases and yet now, four hours away from Lucy and her too-damn perfect fiancé, he couldn’t believe how something as important as _her bags_ could have been missed by both of them. Instinctively, he checked his phone, wondering if perhaps she sent him a text…but the surrounding mountains had already given him the social reprieve he was so desperately hoping for…

No service. 

Groaning he held his head in his hands and collapsed against his Jeep, one devastating thought overwhelming his tortured brain - he was going to have to see her again. 

“I need a damn whiskey.” Wyatt muttered to no one but himself as he yanked his bag free and huffed his way back to the hotel. 

* * *

Wyatt stepped out of his room and into the sunshine of a beautiful mid-morning, resolved that he wouldn’t go back to San Francisco immediately…even if he felt a little weird about hanging on to Lucy’s bags. 

First, there was the distance. He had just spent the last two days driving up the coast, and then, after an emotional rollercoaster of a day, spent another four hours driving well into the wee hours of the morning just to get to Yosemite….and the hell away from any reminders of her. 

Then there was Lucy. His feelings and emotions were still too raw to risk seeing her again. As he had already proven himself to be a Grade A asshole, he didn’t think it was a good idea to throw himself back in her life again, particularly when she had _already_ made her decision and had an engagement party to prepare for. He doubted, in his current frame of mind, that he would be able to withstand the temptation of begging her to reconsider…if not for his own personal benefit, but for her own. 

Marrying someone who was almost certainly hand-picked by her mother? A guy she respected, but didn’t love? Only agreeing to the whole damn charade just because, Wyatt remembered with a pang, she “didn’t say no.” It was just a recipe for disaster, wasn’t it? 

He figured that one day, she would probably live to regret it. Not that that gave him any comfort. He just wished he could save her from it, wished she would have let him save her from it…but ultimately, he knew that it would fall on her. It had to. Someday, somehow she was going to have to come to grips with the fact that her life was not her own…and she was either going to have to choose to do something about it or live the rest of her life under her mother’s thumb. No one else could make that kind of decision for her. 

He just hoped, for her own sake, that she would finally learn to stand up for herself. 

Since driving immediately back to San Francisco and facing Lucy wasn’t an option, therefore, Wyatt threw all of his focus in exploring the great outdoors, expending all of his energy hiking and taking in the beautiful vistas of tree-covered mountaintops and towering waterfalls that dotted the Yosemite landscape. It was readily apparent to him, as he basked in the glory and serenity of the peace and quiet of the park, why his grandfather had enjoyed this place so much. Coming here, as he did, right after the war, it had to have done him some good after the hellish existence he had lived on the front lines of battle for all of those horrible months.

The last few years of his own life had been nothing but turmoil and heartache and while he had harbored the hope that this vacation would serve not only to help him repair his broken relationship with Jessica, but also help him find himself again…he had wound up feeling even worse than he had before he left San Diego. 

It had been his own fault, of course. 

No good deed goes unpunished and all that, right? Stopping on the side of the road like he did, offering a complete stranger a ride to San Francisco… but though he absolutely regretted how things had ended with Lucy, he found that he couldn’t bring himself to wish that he had never met her, that he had never kissed her, that he had never known Lucy Preston. In fact, he’d argue that stopping on the side of that damn road may have just been the best decision he had ever made in his life…even if he would live a lifetime of heartache and regret because of it. 

A week’s worth of fresh air and exercise and just getting the hell away from civilization for a while, away from all the reminders of every shitty thing that had happened to him over the past two years was beginning to do him some good, though. He felt more focused, more rejuvenated than he had since…well, since before things had ended with Jessica. His mood, depressed and frustrated as it had been for…hell, for years, was finally beginning to improve. He may not have been completely happy, but he wasn’t completely miserable either…and given the state he was in when he showed up to this mountain lodge in the middle of the night, that was saying something. Another week away from it all and Wyatt was sure he would be well on his way to getting back to his old self and more importantly…getting over Lucy. 

But then the storm hit. 

Hail, high winds and heavy rains pummeled the landscape for two whole days washing out many of the trails and closing access to some of the more treacherous areas of the park. Stuck in his hotel room, therefore, with no exercise or scenic vistas to distract his thoughts, Wyatt set once more to brooding over the shitty hand he had been dealt these past few years. Flipping on the television, he cursed when he saw that the rain was expected to linger, scoffing as the weatherman reported how unusual the storm was for this time of year. 

It wasn’t unusual, Wyatt thought with a huff, it was just his damn luck. 

Not content to spend the next week holed up in his hotel room, Wyatt decided to find something more productive to do, desperate for anything that would serve as a distraction from the dark thoughts he had fought so hard to keep at bay. Meandering his way down to the lobby he found that he was hardly alone in his vein of thinking; everyone else seemed to have had the same idea as he noted a large line of people idly waiting their turn for the concierge and others huddled around the brochure stand. 

Breathing out an exasperated curse, Wyatt wandered down the lobby hall and took to admiring old photographs, checking out display cases, looking out of the large picture windows at the pounding storm until he found himself in the gift shop. Deciding he had plenty of time to kill, Wyatt strolled through the shelves of merchandise, hardly caring about what he was even looking at when a flyer, unceremoniously taped to the wall, caught his attention…and not in a good way. 

“If you’re looking for something interesting to do,” the clerk began, seeing Wyatt studying the announcement, “I highly recommend visiting the museum tomorrow. We’re coming on the 80th anniversary of the opening, you know? One of the first museums in the entire National Park Service and this right here,” he said with a nod, “is sure to be a fine start to mark the occasion. This new exhibit is going to be something else, thanks to our friends from the University of California and Stanford.”

Stanford. 

Just the word sent his stomach plummeting to the floor like a lead balloon as his thoughts unsurprisingly strayed from the here and now to that awful night outside the Liberal Arts building. All at once, he was hit with the feelings he had fought so hard to keep at bay - the desperation, the shame and the heart ache that followed all of it when he drove away from the one person in the world he never wanted to say good-bye to. 

The one person whose name was now staring back at him on the full-color flyer. 

“Yosemite’s Women – Their Life and Legacy” Wyatt read aloud, before continuing with a sigh, “Special thanks to Stanford University and the University of California, San Diego for the archival contributions and research that made this exhibit possible. Drs. Carol Preston, Lucy Preston, James Gallagher and Henry Morris.

“It promises to be an excellent exhibit,” the clerk continued, as he made his way around the counter. “I hear they’ve got Clare Marie Hodges uniform. You know she was the first ever female park ranger in the National Park Service? 

“Is that so?” Wyatt asked flatly, cursing his luck.

“Oh sure,” the clerk answered as he perused the bookshelves on the back wall, “Joined in 1918 while all the young men were off fighting in the Great War. Ah, here it is,” he quipped pulling a small book off the shelf, “This is a great book to read if you’re interested at all in the new exhibit, “Tales of the Forgotten Women of Yosemite…written by one of the contributors….Dr. Lucy Preston. She’s at Stanford, I believe.”

The last thing Wyatt needed was something else to bring Lucy back to the forefront of his mind, but before he could protest, the book was pushed into his hands by the over-zealous clerk. Holding Lucy’s book, Wyatt was filled with an overwhelming sense of longing…one that he cursed the minute he felt that undeniable pull at his heartstrings. He missed her. He missed their conversations. He missed the way her eyes would light up when she would tell him some random fact about some not so random place. His thumb drifted over her name on the cover before he asked in a voice quavering with emotion, “Is she…will she be coming to this…this thing?”

“Who? Lucy Preston?” The clerk asked absent-mindedly as shuffled back behind the counter, To the exhibit unveiling? Not that I’ve heard,” he replied with a shrug, “Sometimes we can get the authors of these books to come for a book signing, but that particular book is several years old. The exhibit may have been influenced by it somewhat, but I doubt she was even available.”

“Yeah, she’s definitely not available.” Wyatt muttered under his breath. 

“What was that?” the clerk asked innocently, but when Wyatt dismissed his comment as nothing, the clerk continued, “Her mother may make an appearance though. _Carol_ Preston runs the History Department at Stanford and when they contribute things to the collection like this, she generally pops in to make sure all the artifacts are handled with the utmost care. They’re only here on loan, you see…and she sees it as her responsibility to make sure they get back to her in one piece.” He sighed as he crossed back to the wall of books, pulling a much larger volume from the shelf, “She and her daughter work together quite closely together from what I understand…their latest work here on John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt is just…well, it’s just….”

“World-class?” Wyatt asked with a sarcastic smirk as he noted the size of the book.

“Precisely.” The clerk agreed with a meaningful nod, completely missing Wyatt’s eyeroll. “Like mother, like daughter, right?”

“Right.” Wyatt responded flatly, feeling that in this case, it could hardly qualify as a compliment. Carol Preston, from what he had gathered from Lucy herself, was a selfish, micro-managing, tyrant…and okay, maybe he had other reason to dislike the woman, but as far as he was concerned, Lucy Preston was in a completely different league than her mother. 

One that was heads and tails above Carol Preston in every possible way. 

He knew he should have just put her book back on the shelf and walked away, but there he was, almost mechanically, slapping it down on the counter and paying for it, hardly realizing what he had done until he found himself sitting in the lobby perusing its pages. He could hear her voice in every sentence, see her expression in every word, the book, however, as good as it was, was a poor substitute for the real thing. Every page he turned made him miss her all the more - her laugh, her smile, the way she would tilt her head at him and give him that look of hers…and though he knew he wasn’t doing himself any favors, he couldn’t help but keep reading, feeling that having a phantom part of Lucy beside him was better than having no Lucy at all. 

He regretted it later that night, however, as he tossed and turned for hours thinking of their last conversation outside of Stanford. How he had practically begged her not to marry a man she didn’t love, how she had stubbornly refused to see reason, how ashamed she looked in the arms of her fiancé, how he thought for one moment she had chosen him…how he wondered if he ever really stood a chance. 

By now, he figured, she must have realized that her bags were gone…and that he had them. Pulling his phone off the bedside table he stared at the screen, and though it still irritatingly blinked back that he had no service, it did not stop him from checking through his text messages just to be sure. That, however, proved to be an even bigger mistake, because no sooner had he opened his history, then the text Lucy had sent herself…the one that was just the photo of the two of them standing in the rain near the Bixby Bridge, had him leaping out of bed with a curse and crossing over to the mini fridge for an overpriced, miniature bottle of whiskey. 

“What the hell am I going to do?” Wyatt muttered to no one but himself as he tossed his phone back on the bedside table and poured the contents of a small bottle of Jack Daniels into a nearby tumbler. 

Yosemite was supposed to be his sanctuary, the place where he could spend his vacation away from any reminders of Lucy, their kiss…and the fact that he was hopelessly head over heels for her. Yet, somehow…here she was again, hanging over him like a shadow, threatening to haunt him the rest of his days…all because he had to go and be an asshole. 

Determined to get her out of his head once and for all, Wyatt decided that in the morning, he would cancel the rest of his stay at Yosemite, head to San Francisco, drop off Lucy’s bags and get the hell out of that city as soon as he possibly could. So, the next day as the storms still raged overhead, he made his way down to the lobby, ready to change his reservation all the while steeling himself for the unhappy, yet necessary task still before him. 

As he approached the desk, he noted a man wearing a University of California polo standing at the counter next to him. Figuring he must be here for the opening of the new exhibit at the museum, Wyatt felt all the more compelled to get the hell out of Dodge before he was faced with any more torturous reminders of Lucy Preston. He was just about to hand over his card for the refund on his pre-paid days when the clerk pressed him, “If you are looking to extend your vacation elsewhere we can set you up with one of our partner hotels in the area. Lake Tahoe, Sacramento, San Francisco…”

At the mention of San Francisco, Wyatt let out a derisive laugh, absolutely ready to refuse, but his attention was just then drawn to a woman who, upon entering the lobby, had marched directly up to the man on his right and began accosting him. 

“I should have known you would be here, James.” she greeted him curtly, but at the surprised look on his face, she scoffed and added, “You, on the other hand, seem very surprised to see me.”

“I was told that you had another engagement…”

“I do…but seeing as how you seem hellbent on overstepping your bounds, I felt compelled to be here this morning. What on Earth were you thinking?” she snapped, not even giving James a chance to respond, “Offering her a position in San Diego? After all of these years of friendship, how could you even think of doing such a thing without first discussing it with me?”

“Well, as you know, _you_ were our first choice…”

“Like I could leave Stanford at the start of the Fall term?” she asked, laughing haughtily, “Do you have any idea what my schedule looks like? I shouldn’t even be here right now…”

“I really didn’t think you would mind, Carol. I thought you’d welcome the chance for Lucy to make a name for herself outside of Stanford.” James replied, “She seemed quite eager…”

“Of course she did. She has no idea what’s best for her. If it weren’t for me, she would be teaching at a community college in Ohio. _Ohio_ , James.”

Wyatt couldn’t help but stare, open-mouthed at the woman beside him, knowing, as he did, that she was, beyond any unreasonable doubt…Lucy’s mother…Carol Preston. His eyes scanned her face for any trace of a similarity or likeness, and while there was something in the way she tilted her head and carried herself that reminded him of Lucy, the two women couldn’t have been more different. Carol’s light straight hair sharply contrasted that of Lucy’s dark curls, her light eyes, too, were nothing like Lucy’s dark ones. The most striking difference of all, however, had nothing to do with appearances. Even without knowing anything else about the woman standing before him, Wyatt could plainly see that she was haughty and proud…not at all like Lucy. 

James, it appeared to Wyatt, seemed to think so too, as he stammered in response, “She…she never had your ambition, Carol,” he began, “I wish you could have seen her at our campus, with our students…she was just delightful…and from what I understand from her, Stanford hasn’t even considered giving her tenure yet.”

“That is besides the point.” She snapped in reply, “You know I can’t show favoritism…”

“Of course not, but don’t you see?” James pressed, “By letting her spend a semester or two with us, she proves herself, not only to other members of the faculty at Stanford, but…”

“No. Absolutely not…completely out of the question.” Carol replied emphatically, “She can prove herself _just fine_ where she is…I don’t care what she says. Besides,” she added with a sigh, “once she’s married, she’ll have to stay at Stanford. Noah will finish his residency next year and they’re already offering him positions at UCSF. I have great friends there,” she explained meaningfully as they walked away from the counter together, “it’s all been arranged.”

Wyatt stared after them, anger seething through him as he recalled everything Lucy had told him on their drive up the coast. From their conversations, he had gathered that Lucy’s mother was a bit on the domineering side, anxious for her daughter to follow in her footsteps…not unlike most parents who want the best for their children. But this? 

This was something else entirely. 

A cold fury burned in his chest as he watched her go, thinking of how in one fell swoop she had absolutely extinguished any hope Lucy might have had for charting her own course, forging her own path, making her own damn way in the world. That James guy was right…at Stanford, Lucy would forever be living in the shadow of her mother and her world-class reputation, with the additional burden of forever having to defend herself against charges of favoritism because of her mother’s position.

But that wasn’t what made him really angry. 

To hear her mother use Lucy’s marriage to a guy she didn’t even love as an excuse for her to stay behind at Stanford, going so far as to influence people at the hospital to make sure Noah stayed put was enough to make his blood boil. Nothing, absolutely nothing Lucy had was her own…and from what he could tell from this overheard conversation, it never would be. Lucy’s mother would always be there, pulling the strings, orchestrating every last damn detail of her daughter’s life…not giving a rat’s ass if it was what Lucy wanted or not. 

“Sir? I’ll need your card in order to issue you that refund…”

Not taking his eyes off of Carol Preston as she slowly made her way down the hall with her colleague, Wyatt shook his head and replied, “You know what? I changed my mind. I think I do want to stay in San Francisco, after all.”

* * *

When Wyatt had set off from Yosemite that morning, he had done so mostly out of spite. It had been one thing to hear Lucy complain about her mother’s domineering nature, but quite another to witness it firsthand. Listening to her dismiss Lucy’s aspirations, absolutely refusing to allow her a chance to make her own way in the world without receiving her mother’s blessing, infuriated him to no end…particularly when he knew how far Lucy was going in a desperate attempt to please her – marrying a man she didn’t even love. So angry was he at Carol Preston and the way she constantly bullied and manipulated Lucy into doing her will, that his previous resolution to never step foot in San Francisco had completely flown out the window, replaced by his determination to relate to Lucy all that he witnessed. It wasn’t until he crossed the Oakland Bridge into San Francisco and reality began to set in, that he began to think that maybe he was making a big mistake.

Who was he to Lucy, anyway?

Just the guy who had given her a ride when she had found herself stranded on the side of the road.

Hadn’t he already tried to get her to see reason? Hadn’t he already put himself out on the line only to have her choose her fiancé and this…this life her mother had engineered for her? And what had Lucy done? Rejected him. Rejected the idea that her mother could have had anything to do with her and her fiancé…and hell, even if a part of her knew that her mother was behind it all, she still made her choice. 

She was the one who said goodbye.

Suddenly feeling like a complete and total idiot, Wyatt had half a mind to veer his Jeep off to the left, head south towards San Diego and never look back. The idea of having to face Lucy again, knowing what he knew about her mother’s plans for Noah’s career, knowing that even in marriage, Lucy’s life would be controlled and dominated by her mother, knowing that where she was concerned, he was vulnerable…and his heart, well, it had already been ripped out, stomped on and put through the damn ringer…he wasn’t looking forward to a part two of what had gone down at Stanford. But the fact remained…he still had Lucy’s suitcases and until he unloaded them and faced her…his demon…the lightning bolt that had all but destroyed him…he figured he would never be free of her. 

Resigning himself to his fate, therefore, Wyatt followed the promptings of his GPS until he found himself pulling up to a large building that looked more like a palace than a hotel. 

“This can’t be right.” Wyatt muttered as he checked the address on his GPS and looked out at the ornate building towering in front of him. The Fairmont Hotel occupied an entire city block, and did, truly, look more like a palace than a hotel. While it was certainly not like any place he had ever set foot in, let alone stay in, one look at the print out he had received from the Lodge in Yosemite confirmed that this was indeed the place. As he watched the uniformed valets and doorman bustling around the luxurious SUVS and sportscars in front of him, Wyatt couldn’t help but let out a curse, wondering what the hell it had probably cost him.

Feeling less at home here than he did in the rustic lodge in the woods, Wyatt left his equally out of place Jeep in the care of the hotel staff and made his way into the ornate lobby, fully expecting them to direct him to some other, less ostentatious place in town. 

Far from being laughed out of the building, however, Wyatt was greeted with as much, if not more enthusiasm than he had received at the lodge, but given that the whole of his pre-paid week had probably been applied to just one damn night in this place, he figured he shouldn’t be surprised. 

What did come as a surprise…or rather, a disappointment was that his room was declared to not be “quite ready” and therefore he would have to find something to occupy his time until he could fully check in. Groaning, Wyatt checked his watch, wishing…for more reasons than one… that he hadn’t rushed out of Yosemite so damn fast. “What time can I check in?” Wyatt asked again, hoping he had misheard. 

“Three o’clock, sir” the clerk replied, though promising to call him if his room became available any earlier. 

With three hours to kill, therefore, Wyatt slowly meandered his way out of the hotel with no damn idea of where to go or what to do. Of course, there was one place he could go. Pulling out his phone, he unlocked the screen and though he now had plenty of service, he noted with a pang of disappointment that there was not one missed call, nor one missed text from Lucy…which made him feel all the more ridiculous for rushing into San Francisco in some lame-ass, desperate attempt to “save” her from a life she clearly didn’t want to be saved from. 

Determined more than ever to just drop off her damn bags and be done with it, Wyatt resolved right then and there that on his way home to San Diego the next day, he would just swing by Stanford and drop them off at her office. She obviously wasn’t concerned about them, had made no attempt to contact him…and well, if he called her now, how much more pathetic would he be? 

Still, he figured he should let her know that he was going to stop by…

His thumb hovered over her number as he agonized over calling her…what the hell would he even say? What would _she_ say? What if she didn’t even answer? What if Noah answered for her? 

Seeing him in a state of obvious confusion and conflict, a doorman approached him jovially, “Anything I can assist you with, sir?”

Wyatt startled at his approach and quickly tucked away his phone, “Yeah, I…um…I have three hours until my room is ready and I…”

“You need some suggestions on how to spend your time?” Chuckling, the doorman motioned towards a waiting cable car, “You’re in luck, sir. All three lines congregate right here, you have your choice of any place in the city. Though seeing as how we have a beautiful clear day, I’d have to recommend the wharf…they’re calling for rain later this evening and all of tomorrow, so if you want to do it, now is the time to go.”

Wyatt scoffed, hardly caring about where he went, just so long as he could keep himself busy and distracted…though, he realized with a sigh that being in San Francisco where would inevitably remind him of Lucy and their drive together, that was going to be damn hard to do. 

“What the hell?” Wyatt let out with a shrug, “I’ve always wanted to see Alcatraz.” 

“Well then, sir, you’ll want to take this trolley here to Pier 33. Ferries leave every half hour…have a pleasant day.”

Wyatt thanked him as he made his way towards the trolley, though he felt his day would be anything but pleasant…particularly when he arrived at the pier and saw the Golden Gate Bridge looming in the background. It was just another damn thing that reminded him of her…and the orchestrated life she was leading…and damn it, this was a bad idea.

Still, Wyatt was determined. He had driven this far, had gone through the trouble and expense of getting a damn hotel room, trekked all the way down to the pier…he was going to see Alcatraz dammit, if it was the last thing he’d do. 

Resolved, therefore, to not allow his regret over losing Lucy dictate how he spent the last day of his “vacation”, Wyatt boarded the ferry for the Alcatraz tour, taking care to keep his back to the damn bridge that every single one of his fellow passengers seemed bound and determined to ooh and ahh over. 

If Wyatt hoped that the tour of Alcatraz would distract him from his dark and brooding thoughts, those hopes were dashed to pieces almost the moment he set foot on the island when he found to his immense frustration, that their tour guide was a Stanford University graduate student. Immediately his thoughts went straight to Lucy – wondering this kid had been taught by her…or her mother…realizing with a scoff, that he probably had. 

As Wyatt listened to him drone on about the history of the island and its famous inhabitants like Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly and “Whitey” Bulger, he couldn’t help but think of how much of this information his guide might have learned from her. The kid knew his stuff, that was clear – no question seemed to intimidate or throw him - but while he seemed well versed in all the knowledge of the island, the prisoners, the escapes…and the closure of the prison, Wyatt couldn’t help but think of how much more interesting Lucy would have been on this tour. The way she would have delved into the personal histories of the prisoners, the way she probably would have spent more time discussing its use during the Civil War and later, the Spanish American War, the way she would have told him some random bit of history about any number of the now vacant buildings and structures dotting the island…he had gone to Alcatraz to keep himself mentally distracted and yet, the entire visit was filled with nothing but thoughts of Lucy…and how much he missed her. 

By the time he disembarked from the ferry, back onto Pier 33, Wyatt was considerably more miserable than he had been when he first arrived in San Francisco…and while he knew he really shouldn’t have been surprised, surrounded as he was by Stanford sweatshirts and landmarks that readily brought her to mind, he hated it. After the rejuvenating reprieve he had in Yosemite, to come here and reopen an old wound, particularly when it was still so fresh, was beyond frustrating. He would go back to San Diego in worse shape than he had left…all because of a kiss and a couple of suitcases. 

Dammit. 

Brooding, he made his way down the wharf, his mood standing in sharp contrast to the blue skies and sunshine that had seemingly pulled just about everyone in and around the Bay Area from out of their homes and directly into his path. The squeals of laughter and snippets of gleeful conversations that met his ears as he made his way through the crowded path lined with shops and restaurants did nothing to heighten his mood…instead, it only served to sour it more. He envied every single one of them – their smiles, their happiness…the fact that not one of them was walking the wharf by themselves like he was.

What the hell was he thinking, coming here? He should have just stuck in out in Yosemite. To hell with the rain and Carol Preston. At least there, he was removed from…all of this. At least there, being alone wasn’t quite so conspicuous. How many times had he hiked in the woods for hours without seeing another soul? How many times did he go down to breakfast only to find that, even though there was a good number of families present, there was an equal number of lone outdoorsmen that occupied the dining hall? It wasn’t that he was self-conscious, he typically didn’t give a damn – it was nothing for him to go out to a bar or catch a movie on his own…but being in San Francisco, without Lucy…knowing that he would have enjoyed the city a hell of a lot more with her at his side? Hell, at this point, he would have even taken Jessica’s company if it meant that he didn’t have to reiterate to the waitress at the small café that yes, he wanted a table for one and no, nobody was going to be joining him later.

As if he really needed the reminder.

Having had his fill of the wharf, Wyatt decided to just jump on the cable car and get a quick tour of the city, feeling kind of like an ass for doing so since it was the one thing Jessica had always said she had wanted to do in San Francisco….but then he remembered the jackass with the frosted tips answering her front door and decided he didn’t feel so bad about the cable car after all.

To hell with her. 

To hell with all of them.

All he wanted to do was try to be a better man, to make things right with his ex-wife, help someone in need…and this is what it cost him - heartache, misery…and a hell of a lot of regret. The sights of San Francisco gave him no pleasure…he was reminded at every turn of both his failed marriage and failed…almost relationship with a woman he should have never gotten involved with in the first place. His inner turmoil seemed to be reflected in the rolling storm clouds coming in just off the bay and for once, Wyatt felt a sense of comfort at their arrival as it gave him an excuse to retreat to his room and count down the hours when he would deliver Lucy’s suitcases to Stanford and sever his only real and remaining tie to her. 

And then maybe…just maybe…he could get on with his life. 

As he disembarked from the trolley as it stopped in front of his palatial hotel, the low rumbling of thunder overhead announced the impending arrival of the coming storm and Wyatt quickly made his way into the lobby. Earlier, it had been nearly empty, but now, the entire room was filled with people in business suits and fine attire, crowding the bar and listening to a couple of dueling piano players in the atrium. Not caring to be social, Wyatt quickly made his way to the desk and obtained his key, taking no time to make his way up to his room where he found, much to his extreme frustration, that he had an amazing view…of none other than the damn Golden Gate Bridge. 

Wrenching the curtains shut, he flopped down on the bed with a curse and flipped on the television, praying to God that something worthwhile was on so that he could at least find some sort of escape in what was proving to be his own personal hell. As he flicked through channel after channel, however, nothing caught his attention…that is, until he landed on a black and white movie and heard a somewhat familiar phrase and saw to his horror, an all too familiar situation.

“ _Behold the walls of Jericho_ …”

Wyatt gaped at the television, instantly transported to that awkward night, as the couple in the movie playing out before him, stood beside a bed sheet, haphazardly draped over a line in the middle of the room. 

“ _maybe not as thick as the ones Joshua blew down with his trumpet…but a lot safer. You see, I have no trumpet.”_

The damn wall of Jericho…that sheet that Lucy swore was an impenetrable barrier as they lay in that bed together, side by side…hardly knowing one another. She had said it was from a movie…what was it again? Wyatt pulled up the guide and scoffed, _It Happened One Night_ …yeah…that was for damn sure.

Fully annoyed now with fate or the universe of whatever the hell it was that kept torturing him, Wyatt stormed out of the room, fully prepared to get good and drunk at the damn bar. When he entered the elevator, however, he found, much to his frustration, that he was not alone. 

A young couple, and from the looks of it – newly married, were completely wrapped around one another, hardly breaking apart as they made their slow descent to the lobby…a journey made all the more sluggish as the elevator stopped on just about every damn floor to let some other poor unsuspecting bastard intrude on what was fast becoming a completely unbearable situation for an already frustrated Wyatt. 

The moment the elevator doors opened again, therefore, Wyatt bolted out, determined to take the damn stairs to the bar, but as the doors slid closed behind him, he wanted nothing more than to pry them back open and seal himself safely inside, fully prepared to deal with whatever uncomfortable situation was going on in there rather than face the absolute gut punch that was now staring him square in the face. 

Lucy. 

Well, not _just_ Lucy…and not really her…but a picture of her…and her damn fiancé in glossy black and white looking every bit like the cutsy couple everybody believed them to be.

Wyatt knew better. 

His breath hitched in his throat as he stared at the placard standing just outside the ballroom doors directly opposite the elevator announcing the location of what could only be, their engagement party. Within, he could see a bustling of activity, indicating to him that it hadn’t yet started, but would be soon…how soon, he didn’t want to know…because he couldn’t even bring himself to look at it. 

Of all the hotels in San Francisco, what were the damn odds he would wind up in the one that had been the chosen venue for this…this…party that Lucy, herself, had avoided like the damn plague?

He couldn’t stay here…he wouldn’t stay here…how could he? Knowing that just a few floors below him Lucy was affirming her engagement to a man she didn’t love to an entire room filled with all of her friends and family?

Nauseated at the thought, Wyatt made his way to the lobby, making up some excuse as to why he had to leave…only getting credited a partial refund, but he didn’t give a damn about that…all he cared about was getting the hell out of that hotel and out of the city as soon as he possibly could.

Figuring he could still just drop Lucy’s bags off at Stanford, Wyatt directed his Jeep towards 101 South, determined that once he made that brief stop in Palo Alto, he would hightail it the rest of the way to San Diego and never look back. The only problem was that it was now just after five o’clock…on a Friday night…and it was just about to storm. Cursing his bad luck and bad timing, Wyatt groaned at the gridlock that was rush hour traffic in San Francisco. Spread out before him, as far as his eye could see were nothing but red taillights, the glare from which contrasted sharply with the inky black sky, which only made them all the more irritating. 

The traffic inched forward slowly at first, but after two or three miles it began to pick up a bit more speed, coming to an abrupt halt every so often as people merged in and out of the lanes ahead of him. Fat raindrops began to splatter on the windshield and Wyatt let out a deep breath, willing himself to calm down. This trip was supposed to have been for some much needed rest and relaxation, it wouldn’t do him one damn bit of good to show up in San Diego in worse shape than he already was…he needed to calm down…”reset and reflect” as his old buddy Bam Bam would say.

Determined to do just that, Wyatt forced himself to think of the positives of this trip…but seeing how almost every positive was somehow connected with Lucy, he decided that maybe that wasn’t the best way to go about it. Instead, he figured he’d focus on the here and now…that he could see this traffic as a blessing. If there hadn’t been traffic, he reasoned, he probably would have shot out of San Francisco like a bat out of hell and wound up with a speeding ticket the size of a mortgage payment…or worse. An accident would definitely be worse…and he didn’t really need to add that misfortune to his current list, so yeah…maybe this traffic wasn’t so bad. At least, he reasoned, it was moving…not like the traffic going North, he noted with a chuckle as he observed the long rows of cars at an absolute standstill on the opposite side of the median. 

“It could always be worse.” Wyatt muttered to no one but himself as his lane, once again, began to ease forward…and while he absolutely took no pleasure in other’s people’s frustration and pain – in this case, however, he was absolutely grateful he was not one of the poor bastards on that side of the road. It wasn’t much of a victory, but to him…with all of his recent and not so recent misfortunes, it was something…and that meant everything.

The traffic was moving pretty steadily now, not nearly close to the speed limit, but well enough that he felt like he was actually making some progress when the sound of a horn drew his attention back to the northbound lanes which were still in a state of complete gridlock. Turning on his radio, he discovered the congestion was caused, in part, by a five-car pile-up closer to the city, near San Bruno and several stalled vehicles all along the Bayshore Freeway corridor to Santa Clara.

“Well,” Wyatt muttered with a sigh, “they won’t be going anywhere for a while.”

He had just cleared a turn in the road, when one of the stalled vehicles came into view; a Honda Civic, hazards blinking, already parked on the side of the road…and the driver…a brunette in a raincoat digging around in the trunk…

“Shit.” Wyatt slammed on his brakes just in time to miss hitting the stopped car in front of him. Shaking slightly from the near miss, Wyatt turned his incredulous gaze to the car just opposite him on the other side of the road. 

It couldn’t be…there was no way in hell his luck was that damn bad. 

He peered through his rain strewn window in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the brunette’s face, but his lane was moving once again and his attention was pulled once more to the road in front of him. 

He tried to brush it off, ignore it, dismiss the likeness, the car, as just a coincidence…but as his traffic slowed to a stop again, his curiosity got the better of him. Pulling over to the shoulder, Wyatt was determined to get visual confirmation that the woman now pacing on the side of the road was _not_ Lucy, when his cell phone rang. 

With _Damsel in Distress_ , flashing across his screen, Wyatt quickly got out of his Jeep and pressed his phone to his ear, craning his neck to look around a big semi-truck who had blocked the woman from his view, “Lucy?” he asked incredulously. 

_“Oh, Wyatt, thank God.”_ came her muffled reply. Wyatt could see her now, phone against her ear, pacing next to her car, looking absolutely distraught. With a heavy sigh, he began to make his way across the lines of traffic back towards her “ _Listen”_ she was saying quickly, though Wyatt was hardly paying attention, _“I know I’m the last person you probably want to talk to right now, but…”_

“What’s wrong with your car this time?” Wyatt asked as he eased himself between a Toyota Forerunner and a Kia Sorento to get to her. 

Nearly dropping her phone in surprise at the sight of him, Lucy stammered, “How…how…you’re here. How are you here?”

Wyatt felt a tug at his heart at the sight of her, wishing he could do more than just stand apart from her as she stared back at him, but he brushed it aside, remembering with a pang that she was obviously headed to her engagement party. Pointing to his Jeep on the opposite side of the road, Wyatt shrugged, ‘Well, you know me…always in the wrong place at the right time.”

Tears welled in Lucy’s eyes as she continued to gape at him, “Wyatt, I…I…”

“What’s wrong with your car, Lucy?” he asked somewhat impatiently…because every second he spent with her was just adding to his misery. 

“Flat tire.” she responded in a voice choked with emotion. “I was tr…trying to do everything you taught me…but I can’t…I can’t seem to find the spare.”

Offering her a sardonic smirk, Wyatt made his way over to the trunk and lifted the lid to the tire well, only to find it frustratingly empty. “You don’t have a spare tire?” he asked in exasperation. “How the hell do you not have a spare tire?”

“Well, I don’t know.” Lucy responded defensively, “I bought this car used…I told you I never changed a tire before…how was I supposed to know? Ugh,” she breathed out in frustration, throwing her hands over her face, “This is great… _just great_.”

“You got roadside assistance on this thing?” Wyatt asked with a shrug. 

“I think so,” she replied shakily, walking over to her passenger door and opening her glove compartment, “but in this traffic, how soon do you think they’re going to get here?” Shaking her head again and fighting back tears, Lucy sank down in her car seat and moaned, “This is a complete disaster. I should’ve known something like this would happen. With a quick look at Wyatt she shrugged slightly and muttered as she pulled out her phone and began punching in a number, “I guess it serves me right.”

While a small part of Wyatt wanted to agree with Lucy that she was, in fact, reaping a bit of what she had sown, the larger part of him couldn’t bring himself to condemn her. She hadn’t made him fall for her…he had done that himself. And now, well now that she had decided to marry Noah, fate had left her stranded on the side of the damn road…again. 

“Hello?” she breathed out as whomever she had called answered the phone, “Yeah, I just called…yes, it’s Lucy. Look, there’s no way I’m going to be able to get there tonight…I’m…I’m stranded. I know…I know, believe me, the last thing I want to do is cancel, but I really don’t have a choice, I…”

“No, Lucy.” Wyatt offered with a heavy sigh as he dragged a rough hand across his face, “don’t…don’t cancel…” he muttered, hardly believing the words that were coming out of his mouth, “I’ll take you to the hotel, okay?”

Looking up at him in surprise, Lucy startled before muttering back into the phone, “Hang on, okay? I’ll call you right back.” Turning to face Wyatt, she narrowed her eyes, “Wyatt…what…what are you saying?”

“I’m trying to be the bigger person here, Lucy.” Wyatt explained with a huff. “You’re never going to get to your party in time if you sit around here and wait for a tow truck…and there’s no need for you to cancel…" he said, even as his heart broke in two all over again, "not when I can take you.”

“Hotel? What are you…how did you…” she asked before realization dawned on her face, “Oh…right…he invited you.” A furious blush spread across her cheek as she shook her head and began to stammer, “Wyatt, about that…I’m…I’m so so sorry…”

“You don’t have to apologize Lucy, okay? I get it.” He said with a reassuring nod, though he couldn’t quite meet her eye, “I shouldn’t have ever expected…I mean, I didn’t expect….I mean…the point is, I don’t blame you, all right? You’re free to make your own choices.” He scoffed as she shook her head at him, “Come on, you’re gonna be soaked if you stay out here much longer…let’s get you to your engagement party.” 

He turned to lead the way back to his Jeep when Lucy’s quiet voice stopped him dead in his tracks, “I’m…I’m not going to the party.” Wyatt slowly turned again to look at her, thinking that maybe he had misheard her…praying to God that he hadn’t when she continued, “I uh…I couldn’t go through with it ,” she admitted through tears and Wyatt noticed for the first time that she wasn’t wearing her rock of an engagement ring. 

“I just…I kept thinking about everything you said.” Lucy explained as tears made their way down her cheeks, “You were right. It’s not fair. Noah deserves to be with someone who actually loves him back…and that…that’s not me…” she admitted, before adding meaningfully, “no matter how much my mother wants it to be.”

Not missing her allusion to their fight outside of Stanford, Wyatt groaned, “Lucy…I…I didn’t…”

“You were right about that too.” she added in a voice choked with emotion, “I knew…when she told me…I knew,” she admitted ruefully, “I just…I wanted to believe it was all real, you know?”

“Lucy…”

“My mother is furious…when I told her I was having second thoughts, she blamed it on the offer from San Diego…told me I was making the biggest mistake of my life…told me to wait until she got back home so we could “discuss it.” Lucy let out a scoff, “I knew then that I had to do something…I couldn’t…I couldn’t stay here. I had to carve my own path…make my own future.” She let out a watery chuckle as she continued, “So, I ended things with Noah and did what you told me to.” She looked up at Wyatt expectantly, but at his look of confusion she explained, “When we were changing that tire together…you told me someday I might have to save myself…so I did…or at least,” she added with a derisive laugh, “I tried to…until this happened. Ironic, right?”

Wyatt stared back at her, amazed that she had taken something he had merely said in passing…hell, something that had nothing to do with…he was just talking about road safety…but she…she had taken it to heart. “Lucy, I…I didn’t mean…I shouldn’t have…”

“Yes, Wyatt…you should have.” Lucy interrupted him with a firm nod of her head, “All of my life, I’ve been told what to do…my life has been plotted out from start to finish. No one…no one ever encouraged me to take control of my own life…until you.”

Wyatt was trying to think of something to say, hardly knowing how to respond to…all of this when Lucy took one step forward and kissed him, taking him completely by surprise. It didn’t last long, so stunned was he at what she had done, he did little more than gape at her as she stepped away from him in embarrassment and shame. “I…I wasn’t sure if I’d ever seen you again.” she explained quietly, keeping her eyes cast down to the ground, ‘When you left with my bags, I thought that maybe…but then, you didn’t…not that I blamed you for not wanting to…” she let out a small sob as she quietly muttered, “I’m so sorry, Wyatt.”

“I…I wanted to.” Wyatt admitted quietly, still gaping at her slightly, “I just…I didn’t have service. I went to the mountains…" he explained with a meaningful nod, "I just couldn’t stay here.”

“Oh.” Lucy nodded, still looking hurt and embarrassed as she muttered, “I see." She sniffed slightly, attempting but failing to look nonchalant, as she replied with a frown, "I…just thought…well, I thought you probably didn’t want to have anything to do with me after…”

As if finally coming to his senses, Wyatt quickly pulled her to him in one swift move, capturing her lips with his own in one desperate, heartfelt kiss. Just as with their kiss on the pier, something powerful ignited within him…surging through him with an energy that completely overwhelmed his senses. Every touch, every sigh, every feel of her in his arms resonated deep within him until he had no choice but to pull away from her, breathless and more than a little weak-kneed. 

“Wow.” Lucy breathed out, looking a little dazed. 

“Yeah.” Wyatt answered with a gulp before diving back in for another desperate kiss. His hands buried in her wet curls, hardly believing that after all of the heartache, all of the misery he had suffered, Lucy was back in his arms...free to hold, to kiss, to hug for as long as he wanted. He didn't give a damn about the rain; it, the traffic, the sounds of car horns, all melted away...until Lucy pulled away from him, gasping for air. 

Leaning her forehead against his as she wrapped her arms around his neck, “I…I know this is going to sound crazy,” she said breathlessly, “but…I think…I think I might be in love with you.”

Smirking, Wyatt pressed a kiss to her nose, “You’re right.” he said with a teasing grin, “it does sound crazy. But” he added as he touched his forehead against hers again, “I’m pretty damn sure I’m in love with you too…so I really don’t…”

At that moment, however, Lucy silenced him with another kiss…and Wyatt completely lost his train of thought. 

“Um…” Wyatt stammered, when they found it necessary to breathe again, “wh…where did you say you were going?”

“Hmmm?” Lucy asked absent-mindedly, before startling to her senses, “Oh…San Diego…I decided to take the guest lecturer position, after all.”

Wyatt couldn't help but smirk at the thought of how disappointed Carol Preston would be to find out that after what amounted to no more than a hissy fit in Yosemite, Lucy was going to take James' offer after all. "Good for you." he said with serious nod, which soon turned to a teasing grin as he noted the direction she was heading, “I hate to break it to you, ma’am,” he began, recalling what he said to her when they first met, “but San Diego is _that_ way.”

Grinning broadly at the memory, Lucy wrapped her arms around Wyatt’s waist and offered him a sardonic glare, “Uh-huh…but the airport is _that_ way.” she said with a nod towards San Francisco, “They want to meet with me on Monday morning…I just, after talking with my mother, I thought it would be best to get out of here as soon as possible.” She let out a derisive laugh as she added, “Guess that didn’t work out too well, huh?”

“Well, I don’t know about that.” Wyatt said meaningfully, before pulling her in for another kiss. “You know,” he added with a devilish smirk when they broke apart again, “I’m going to San Diego, myself.”

“Is that so?” Lucy asked in feigned astonishment. “What are the odds?”

Wyatt raised his eyebrows before answering with a soft smile, “I know. Some might even call it…fate.”

Happy tears welled up in Lucy’s eyes as she shook her head at him incredulously, “I thought…I thought you said you didn’t believe in fate?”

“I didn’t.” Wyatt admitted, taking her hand in his, “until I met you.” Lucy let out a small gasp as Wyatt pressed her fingers to his lips, before tugging her along behind him, “Come on…let’s go.” he said as he began leading her through the stopped traffic, helping her over the median and walking with her hand in hand until they arrived at his Jeep. 

They were just making their way over to the passenger door when she turned to him suddenly and gasped, “Wait a minute…what about my car, my bags…my airline ticket?”

Unfazed, Wyatt shrugged, “You can always tow your car…and if you _really_ want to go to the airport, Lucy…I’ll take you to the airport. Or,” he said with another devilish grin, “you can cancel your ticket and ride with me…though I feel like I should tell you, ma'am...if you do ride with me, I can pretty much guarantee we won’t make it to San Diego until _Sunday_ at the latest.”

“So, we're taking the scenic route?” Lucy asked with a devilish grin of her own.

“God, I hope so.” Wyatt groaned as she pressed another kiss to his lips, before she smiled at him knowingly and waited as he opened her door for her.

“You sure you’re okay with picking up another desperate woman from the side of the road?” Lucy teased him. “I thought that was frowned upon?” 

“I don’t know,” Wyatt shrugged, “It seemed to have worked out for me last time…and besides,” he said with another grin, “I really don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

“Oh really?” Lucy asked with a smile as she slid into the seat and looked up at Wyatt, “And why is that?”

“Because,” Wyatt said with a smirk, “I still have your suitcases.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end....for now, at least. I MAY do an epilogue for this which would be a year jump into the future with their engagement and their start at Mason...but I may also do that as a flashback scene in the other Torrent companion piece I have planned...I haven't quite decided how I want to do it, but either way, it won't manifest itself in fic form until I begin to seriously start writing that other timeline story...and that's not happening right now. I apologize if anyone is disappointed, but as I need to focus on getting Stranded done and poor WMHB which has been so neglected these past few months, I need to let this one be "finished" for a little while before we revisit this timeline to get us to "Lucy and Wyatt are engaged...what?" when they get back from Vegas in 62. Again, if you haven't read Torrent, I'm sure that is completely confusing..but there it is. 
> 
> In planning this fic, I really didn't want Wyatt saving Lucy...I wanted her to be the one who took a stand even if it meant that she would never see Wyatt again. The whole reason this timeline even exists is because of what Wyatt did in '62 (in Torrent) and so the whole fate thing was something I wanted to focus on...in this last chapter especially. How everything just seemed to be constantly pulling the two of these knuckleheads together. 
> 
> I just want to thank you for taking the time to read this & for your immense patience as I struggled to juggle real life with that of writing...so thank you again, for sticking with me. Stay tuned for more of the Torrent timelines...I do have the first chapter of the Vegas timeline sort of in the works, but again, my main focus is on my other fics right now, so please be patient. 
> 
> Thank you again and I hope you all are healthy and happy as we continue to muddle through life in isolation.


End file.
